Darkest Before Dawn
by Hitman47
Summary: Dawn Crenshaw, now in her forties, is still living in New Vegas and has retired from combat. She lives a life of loneliness and depression with Maddie imprisoned in an asylum. Dawn meets a shadowy young man, Damon, and teaches him wasteland survival. When Dawn kills a member of a powerful gang know as the Outcasts, she along with Damon, become hunted across the Mojave Desert.
1. The Chill of the Night

**DARKEST BEFORE DAWN**

"I'm not home  
I'm not lost  
Still holding on to what I got  
Ain't much left  
Though there's so much that's been stolen  
Guess I've lost everything I've had  
But I'm not dead, at least not yet  
Still alone, still alive, still unbroken."

- _Still Unbroken,_ Lynyrd Skynyrd

 **THE CHILL OF THE NIGHT**

Inside a casino club, a band began to play a newer version of the song "After You've Gone." A young woman with long curly brown hair wearing a red glitter dress stepped up to the microphone. She began singing as smoke lingered in the air and patrons drank while seated at the tables. The music echoed throughout past the gamblers and dealers. Outside, the bright lights from The Cosmopolitan, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Caesar's Palace, The Bellagio, Excalibur, and New York, New York casinos of New Vegas, brightened the streets and the sky above. Men in suits and women in fancy dresses entered casinos and wandered along the sidewalks, while others leaned against buildings and drank to inebriation.

A woman with long blonde hair, dressed in a blue Henley shirt and black jeans with a pair of brown boots, wandered the New Vegas Strip. She had her head down and her arms crossed over her stomach. When she walked past a store window that displayed mannequins dressed in suits, she saw her reflection. She felt her face and looked closer in the window. Dawn Crenshaw continued down the sidewalk with the Stratosphere lit up in the background. She thought a lot about the days of the past when she fought on these very streets, in Freeside, and out in the Mojave Wasteland. Now, twenty years later, her combative skills had diminished and her body was breaking down and aching.

Dawn walked outside the Strip through the abandoned buildings, run down hotels, and deteriorating streets. Only a few residents were wandering about. They consisted of mostly vagrants, prostitutes, and gamblers who were down on their luck. The NCR patrolled the area to keep it safe. A few miles ahead was a mental institution. It looked like an old mansion that was covered in white stone. Occasionally, she would walk near it and at the last moment, turn away and head back to the Strip. Knowing who was in there made it hard for her to enter. Her last visit was over a year ago to see Maddie Brennan. Maddie had suffered a nervous breakdown after the death of Rusty Briggs three years earlier. Dawn would try to comfort her, but Maddie would babble incoherently and laugh. It seemed that Dawn no longer existed to Maddie. No matter how many times Dawn would try and talk sense into her, she would fail to breakthrough each time and Maddie would often go into a violent rage.

There was another patient housed inside the asylum that Dawn was familiar with. Selene, who was once the leader of a vampiric cult known as Selene's Legion, was locked in the psychiatric intensive care unit and remained a dangerous threat. Selene still believe she was a vampire and was determined that she would get revenge. Dawn turned around and headed back to the Strip. Even after three years, it was hard living without Maddie's presence. Sometimes, she would think Maddie was near her only to realize she was not there.

For the past twenty years, The Shadow, a mercenary group Dawn once belonged to, kept the Strip secure. Dawn ended up further south of the New Vegas Strip away from the bright lights and noise. This part of South Las Vegas Boulevard had little security where Dawn would often isolate herself. She kept her arms crossed as the chill of the night blew into her. Without her knowledge, a shadowy figure watched her as she walked along the sidewalk. The figure creeped up on her with a gun in hand.

"Hey lady," the figure spoke, pointing the gun at her, "Down the alley, go...now!"

Dawn became nervous and turned her head, trying to get a glimpse of who it was. She walked into the alley as instructed.

"All your money now!" The figure demanded.

Dawn could tell it was the voice of a young male.

"Just go home kid," Dawn advised.

"I'm calling the shots lady. Give me your money now or I'll blow your damn head off!"

Dawn turned around to face him. She tried to contain her nervousness as her heart pounded like a jackhammer. During her younger days, when someone pointed a gun at her, she took them down. All she saw was the gun. His face was concealed in the darkness of the alley.

"I swear I'll kill you," the young man threatened.

He stepped into the light, revealing his face to her. Her suspicions were correct; it was a young man. He looked as if he were in his late teens and early twenties. He was completely bald and clean shaven with earrings on both ears. He also has a lip piercing and was wearing a long black leather coat that had small metal rectangular hooks in the front.

"Just cool it kid," Dawn told him, "Don't be stupid."

"Do you want to die? I'm giving you three seconds."

Dawn could hear in his voice that he was nervous.

"First time you robbed someone?" She asked.

"One," he warned.

"Put down the gun..."

"Two!"

Dawn saw that his gun was just a replica. She wanted to attack him; every survival instinct she once possessed suddenly returned to her.

"You're gonna shoot me with a fake gun?" Dawn exposed his deceitfulness.

The young man circled around her and moved towards the exit.

"You suicidal?" He said, "That attitude will get you killed."

"Yeah, well take a shot!" She dared him, "Come on, you want to be a thug, you want to be a bad boy? Go for it!"

He lowered the gun and ran out of the alley as Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Back in her suite at the Stratosphere Hotel, she sat on the couch and looked at her shaking hand. She laid down and tried to rid herself of the nervous feeling. Her suite was kept in pristine condition. It had a gray carpet, white walls, two love seats, a small wall in the middle which had a TV on both sides; one faced the bed and the other faced the couch. There were a few desks, a kitchen, and a large window which had a view of the Strip. After the incident she knew she needed to get back into the training routine. There was a bottle of bourbon and a small empty glass on the small table in front of her. She poured herself a drink in hopes of calming her nerves.

She grabbed a stimpak and injected it into her arm. As the medicine ran through her veins, she closed her eyes. Within seconds, a young Maddie was kneeling beside her. She had blonde hair in pigtails and was wearing a black and red outfit. She had a smile on her face and held Dawn's arms.

"Maddie," Dawn whispered.

"It's not as bad as it seems," Maddie tried to convince her.

"It is. Not as good as I was."

"It's all in your head."

Maddie poked Dawn's forehead and smiled.

"I need you here," Dawn pleaded, "It's hard without you."

"Dawn, you can survive; there's no one tougher."

"No, I feel weak."

"Don't say that. When I get out, I'll be here for you."

Dawn quickly opened her eyes and saw that Maddie was not there. She rose up and looked around the room. She laid back down with a lonely feeling.

A few hours later, after her arm was no longer sending a numbing pain through her, she went to the gym area. She stepped inside and saw the punching bags, weights, mats, and speed bags. Other residents of the Stratosphere hotel had been using the equipment, but it had been over three years since Dawn had used any of it. She stood near the door and saw an image of her younger self striking the heavy bag. Her hits were hard and loud and there was no quit in her. The younger Dawn did clap pushups and then kicked the heavy bag. Then, Dawn saw the image fade away. She stepped out in the hallway and walked back to her suite. Dawn laid in bed while staring at the ceiling and thinking about the young man she encountered. She knew he was right about her attitude being the death of her. However, she was not suicidal. She wondered why someone so young would want to be driven down the wrong path in such a grim world.

The next day, Dawn was inside the gym. It was open for everyone, but instead most residents spent their time gambling away their income in the casinos. She had on a pair of padded gloves and began striking the heavy bag with a few light punches. Next, she threw a series of kicks. Her strikes from the bag caused her joints and bones to ache, but she kept going. She leaned against the bag and breathed heavily. Then, she tried out the free weights. The lighter ones she lifted with ease, but the heavier ones gave her trouble. She tossed them on the floor and got on the treadmill. A few short minutes of running was enough to cause her to nearly faint from exhaustion. She took her gloves off a threw them against the wall.

Later that night, Dawn was on her way to the Strip from the asylum. As she strolled through empty streets, she heard a commotion down an alley. There were shadows on the deteriorated brick walls and it appeared someone was getting mugged. Dawn hesitated but then decided to walk into the alley. She walked through the garbage that was scattered around and heard voices and someone grunting in pain.

"Where's our money?" A deep voice shouted.

Dawn turned a corner and saw three men kicking one person on the ground. She stood still and knew in her mind she could not turn back. Then, one of the thugs noticed her. He had long black dreadlocks and a goatee. He wore a basketball jersey and loose jeans with black boots.

"Hey, hey, hey," he muttered.

The other thugs turned towards her. One of them had a shaved head and wore a long black trench coat. The other was a muscular man with short hair, worn eyes and a braided beard. He had on a tank top and jeans with black boots.

"You're in the wrong place lady," the muscular man said, "Go clothes shopping or somethin'."

The other thugs laughed.

"Leave him alone," Dawn warned.

"Or what? Get lost or you're next."

They walked towards her. It was at this moment, Dawn realized Maddie was not beside her and knew she made a mistake.

"You had your chance lady," the man in the dreadlocks cautioned, "Now, you're gonna end up like that punk ass."

The three men surrounded her. The man in the trench coat felt her hair and then, her instincts kicked in. She grabbed his arm and punched him in the ribs. She kicked the man in the dreadlocks in the stomach, knocking him back into the brick wall. The man with the braided beard backed away. Dawn delivered an elbow to the trench coat thug and then kicked him in the knee. She hit him with multiple knee shots and knocked him unconscious. The man with the dreadlocks ran behind her, but Dawn grabbed his shirt and threw him to the ground. She kicked his face, knocking him out.

"You're dead now," the other thug threatened.

His size was intimidating but Dawn felt she could take him down. She struck him in the face with a hard punch, but he just laughed at her. She threw kicks at his side, but he easily blocked them. He threw a punch at her, but she moved to the side and punched him in the face again. She threw another kick, but he grabbed her leg and then grabbed her by the throat. Dawn tried to struggle free, but her oxygen was depleting. He pressed her against the wall and smiled. Dawn felt her life fading away as she looked into his eyes. The young man on the ground grabbed a steel pipe and struck the thug on the back of the head. He let go of Dawn and fell to the ground unconscious. Dawn regained her breath as the man held his ribs. She looked at him, but his face was hidden in the darkness. He extended his hand and Dawn grabbed it. He pulled her up and Dawn saw his face. It was the young man who tried to mug her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"I'll live. I think my rib is broken."

The man then recognized her.

"Oh, no, you," he realized.

"Yeah, me. Let's get out of here okay."

They ran down the street towards the casinos.

"Wait," the man said.

Dawn stopped and turned towards him.

"Why did you save me?" He asked.

"I was just in the area," she answered.

"Well, thank you."

"Yeah."

Dawn continued down the street until she reached a corner. When she turned around, he vanished. For a moment, she starred into the darkness, wondering if the head shaven young man was even real. She turned around and walked towards the New Vegas Strip. As she passed the casinos, she knew there was something odd about him. She walked passed the bright lights and through the crowds on her way towards the Stratosphere.


	2. A Debt to Pay

**A DEBT TO PAY**

Dawn woke up the next morning with the sunlight shining on her. She was spread out across the bed and there was a near empty bottle of bourbon next to her. She picked it up and drank the last few drops. Her body ached from the scuffle, but she was glad that she was not seriously hurt. Although it was something she should have been proud of, she did not feel that way. She went into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Then, she went to the kitchen and found a pack of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes next to the stove. That would be her breakfast.

Later that afternoon, Dawn was now outside what was once the Fashion Show Mall. She had a small leather backpack and her .45 pistol with her. The mall was once home to many overpriced clothing and merchandising stores. It was also frequented by spoiled rich teenagers and anyone else who had money to throw away. The fancy sense of design the mall once had was now a thing of the past. The mall now contained stores to purchase weapons, ammo, armor, and medical supplies. There was also a bar and a food court that served food that would never pass a health inspection. Dawn walked past a large runway in the middle of the hall towards the liquor store.

She sat on a bench while other patrons passed by and then opened her bottle of bourbon and took a sip. Then, someone caught the corner of her eye. It was a quick glimpse and she thought it was the young man in the crowd from last night. She placed the bourbon in her backpack and walked down the aisle. Dawn looked in every direction, but he was nowhere to be found. She ran towards the exit and looked outside. It seemed he had vanished into thin air. Up on the staircase, the young man looked down and watched her as she headed down the sidewalk.

As Dawn ascended in the elevator in the Stratosphere Hotel, she took sips of her bourbon. She leaned against the wall and listened to the sounds of the cables and belts pulling the elevator. When she exited into the hallway, a member of the Shadow approached her.

"Dawn, there's someone here to see you," he told her.

"Who is it, and why'd you let him up here?" She asked, annoyed.

"Relax, he's clean."

Dawn walked towards her room and saw the young man leaning near her door. He waved to Dawn as she walked over to him.

"Well, well, well, what brings you here?" She asked him.

"I owe you. You saved me the other night and now, I'm in your debt."

"That still doesn't explain why you disappeared."

"All that matters now is that I'm here and I will repay my debt to you. My name is Damon Marcinko."

Damon extended his hand.

"Dawn Crenshaw," she introduced herself.

They shook hands.

"I heard stories about you," Damon admired, "Your encounters in the wasteland are legendary."

"Never knew that. Let's go inside."

They entered the room.

"What something to drink? How 'bout some water?" She asked.

She took two bottles of purified water and gave him one. They sat down on the couch. Dawn took out her bourbon and drank it from the bottle. She pointed the bottle to Damon who refused.

"I'm sorry I tried to rob you," he regretted, "I owed those men some money. I'm not even a thief or a street hustler."

Dawn giggled.

"You didn't even have a real gun," she teased.

She looked at his shaven head.

"You a Shaolin Monk?" She wondered.

"Anything but one. I try to do some good in the world, but it doesn't work out that way."

Dawn giggled.

"I meant because of your hair, or lack thereof," she clarified.

He ran his hand across his head. Dawn drank her water and curled her legs on the couch. She stared at Damon and smiled.

"It's my style," he replied.

"So, what do you do with your life beside owing people money?" She asked, still with a smile on her face.

"I survive."

"That makes two of us."

"Like I was saying, you're a legend to some people."

"Things aren't what they used to be. I've been trying to get back into training again."

"Well, I'm here to help you."

Dawn smiled at him.

Dawn and Damon were inside the restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere tower having lunch. Over the years, it was renovated from abandonment into its former glory of a full-scale restaurant. There were windows that circled along the walls that overlooked New Vegas. There were also numerous people inside.

"So, where is it you're from?" Dawn asked, looking happy.

"Junktown," he replied.

"Junktown? Sounds…"

"Like a town made from scrap and junk. It's a pretty big place, looks almost like a town from the 1950's. One of those retro future type places. I guess that's how people in the 50's thought how the future would be."

"Seems like a fun place. Where's it located?"

"Just past the SoCal border."

"You traveled through some rough territory."

"I survived."

Dawn smiled. She took a sip of her margarita and then held her face in her hand with her elbow on the table.

"So you said you used to run with the Shadow?" Damon inquired.

"Yeah, a long time ago. Back when I was in shape and actually gave a damn."

"What changed?"

"Everything around me. No one else was around anymore; the world continued to sink into despair. It was like what I fought for did not matter."

Dawn continued to smile and stare at Damon. She believed he was sent to her by a twist of fate. He finished up his lunch and noticed Dawn staring at him.

"Good lunch," he said, "Never had Brahmin meat before."

"I'll take care of it," Dawn insisted.

"No, I will. I'm here for you."

After lunch, they stood outside the tower on the sidewalk below. Damon looked in the direction of Freeside. Dawn watched him with her arms behind her back. She swayed back and forth as Damon had his attention on Freeside. There were conflicting thoughts going through her mind: Was he really a true friend or is this too good to be true? Was he sent here by someone as a way to set her up for a fall? Maybe he was here to be a companion. There was only one way to find out; she would have to trust him. Damon turned around with a smile on his face.

"I know you've fought over in Freeside," Damon brought up.

"With all kinds of scum."

"It's a strange and dangerous place. Well it used to be."

"It's still a rundown shithole."

"What about parkour? Ever tried it?"

"If your referring to jumping across buildings to escape mercenaries, the Combine, and vampires, then yeah."

Damon chuckled.

"What do you say?" he asked.

Dawn and Damon ventured into the slums of Freeside. Over the years, it had become safer and more habitable with many citizens preferring it over the Strip. It was more economic and less crowded, however, many buildings still remained dilapidated. The Stratosphere could still be seen from where they were, although it was in the distance. As Dawn looked back, Damon ran into an alley. She turned around and followed him.

"You ready?" He asked.

"For what?

"Just follow my lead."

Damon ran to the corner of the brick building and jumped up. He used the corner and the vent to climb to the top of the building. Dawn used a nearby ladder to climb up. Damon looked across Freeside which looked like it had been bombed. Dawn reached the top and once again saw the Stratosphere.

"You can see the Stratosphere from just about anywhere in the Mojave," he pointed out, "It's really nice when it's all lit up."

"Maybe that's why so many thugs want it."

"I've been to all sorts of places and a lot of people out there, good and bad, want that tower. I even hear NCR soldiers talk about taking it."

"People on the Strip say the same thing."

Damon looked at the buildings where he wanted to jump across.

"You see the way the buildings are close together? It's easy to leap across," he told her, as if it was easy.

Damon ran towards the edge of the rooftop and jumped across to the next building. Dawn took a deep breath and ran towards the edge. She jumped across and landed next to Damon.

"Good!" He complimented.

He quickly ran and then jumped across to the next building. Dawn followed him across.

"You're getting it," he said when she landed.

There was a taller building next to them.

"Let's scale it," he suggested.

"You can't be serious," Dawn complained, almost out of breath.

"I did this all the time at Junktown."

Damon jumped against the wall of the taller building and used the window sills to scale up to the rooftop. Dawn had doubts about trying it.

"Ha! This is fun!" He shouted.

Dawn took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself.

Dawn leaped onto the brick window sill and held on tight. There was a ledge above her that she used to pull herself up. While standing on the ledge, she pressed herself against the wall and jumped up on the ledge that lead to the roof. As she was climbing up, Damon appeared and grabbed her arm to assist her. Dawn laughed with relief when she reached the rooftop.

"See, it ain't so bad," Damon reassured, "Just takes practice."

"Yeah, it's a lot easier when you don't have forty plus years on you," she replied, "I forgot how exciting and dangerous it is to put your life at risk."

Dawn felt an adrenaline surge go through her. The familiar feeling hit her hard in the face and at the moment, she felt like her old self. She scoured the area and saw the buildings.

"Come on," she encouraged Damon, "You ready for an encore?"

Dawn jumped across to the next building which was shorter. Damon smiled and followed her. She landed on the rooftop, rolled, and proceeded to the next building. Damon followed behind, jumping over the air conditioner, metal crates, and doorways. He stopped when he reached the edge and saw Dawn on the next building.

"What's keeping you?" She shouted, "See that old electronics store? I'll race your ass!"

Dawn took off and headed towards the store. Damon ran as fast as he could to try and catch up. Dawn saw the building and made the leap onto the rooftop. Just then, Damon appeared. They landed on the rooftop at the same time. Damon remained standing, but Dawn kneeled on the ground from exhaustion.

"That was close," Damon said, "It looks like you still got it."

"Yeah, too close."

"You did have a head start though."

Dawn giggled and sat down on the roof. Damon kneeled beside her.

"That was fun," Dawn uttered with fatigue, "Now it's time I train you in the art of combat."

"Yeah, I look forward to it. I can shoot a gun, you know. I mean, I'm not an expert, but I know how to do it."

"You need to learn how to fight."

"I know how…"

"What happened the other night?"

"Okay, maybe I do need a little training."

Dawn raised her eyebrow. They walked through the streets of Freeside and came upon the Silver Rush Casino. Dawn stopped and remembered the vampiric cult, Selene's Legion, that she battled many years earlier. Images of the legion members marching across the streets and then an image of Selene herself standing on the casino roof flashed before her. Damon saw her and walked back to her.

"You alight?" He consoled, patting her on the back.

"Yeah, just remembering something."

Damon saw the now abandoned Silver Rush.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I know who used to be in there, Selene and her legion of vampires," Damon recalled, "I read stories about them. It was you and the Shadow that destroyed them. It was before I was created."

"Great times, huh?" Dawn sarcastically remarked.

Dawn and Damon steered away from the Silver Rush and walked back towards the Strip.

"From what I hear, you were with someone else, right?" Damon asked.

Dawn paused for a moment.

"Yeah, her name's Maddie," Dawn answered, "We met when we lived in City 17. I never would have made it without her."

"Where is she now?"

"She had a hard time coping with the loss of someone close to her. I'm still hoping she gets the help she needs from the asylum."

"Sorry to hear that."

Then, they saw a gang of raiders ahead and ran into a nearby alley. Damon peaked around the corner.

"Raiders, I thought they were gone from here," Damon said with annoyance.

"They don't call them raiders for nothing," Dawn replied.

"Let's go around them."

Damon quickly climbed the building, taking advantage of missing bricks and a small ledge. He made it to the roof top and Dawn went the same path he did. When she reached the top, Damon was nowhere to be found. She did not want to yell for him with the raiders close by. She ran to the other side and looked down in the alley, but there was no sign of him. Dawn could see the Stratosphere and knew she was close to the Strip. She jumped across to the next building and looked down at the street. The raiders were roaming the streets with knives, spears, and hand guns. They were dressed in tattered clothing and had various hairstyles including, mohawks and buzzcuts. Some had grime on their faces and numerous tattoos on their arms and neck areas. Dawn had her .45 with her but was looking for a way around them. Suddenly, a raider tackled her from behind. She took her gun out as the raider grabbed her hair. When he turned her over, she shot him point blank in the chest, killing him. In the heat of the moment, Dawn realized the gunshot had attracted the attention of the raiders. Before she could stand up, two more raiders appeared on the rooftop. Dawn shot them, causing them to fall back onto the street. She stood up and ran towards the next building. She jumped across and hid behind a metal air duct. The raiders had made it to the top and searched for her. Dawn leaned against the air duct, but the old structure began to bend and then break. The raiders fired at the air duct as Dawn dove out of the way while returning fire, hitting the raiders. She hit the ground, rolled, and knelt on one knee while making sure the raiders were down. After a quick reload, she descended the building to the streets and ran towards the Strip. Then, more raiders appeared in front of her. She hid behind a flatbed truck as the raiders ran towards her. She quickly climbed onto the flatbed and dove off while shooting at the oncoming raiders. She successfully shot them down and then landed on the roof of a broken down Corvega. She rolled off the roof and landed on the sidewalk face down; feeling dazed. As she was reeling, the three remaining raiders found her. Then, Damon appeared and stabbed one of them in the chest and sliced the other one on the throat. The remaining raider pointed a gun at him, but Dawn shot him.

"Wow! That was badass!" Damon shouted.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked.

"I was scouting a way for us to get out. If I would've know you were gonna blast your way out, I would have followed you."

"You just ran off without a plan."

"Oh…sorry."

Damon helped her up.

"Let's just go back okay," Dawn suggested.

They walked back towards the strip, leaving the slums of Freeside behind. When the night came, they had dinner on the roof of a restaurant with a devil statue. After a night out of visiting casinos and wandering the Strip, they made it back Dawn's suite.

"Fun day, right?" Dawn said.

"I hadn't had that much fun in a while."

Dawn sat down on the couch and poured herself a glass of bourbon.

"Come on, have some," she offered.

He remained standing and took a sip. He shook when he swallowed it.

"It burns," he complained, "You actually like this?"

"It calms me down. Besides, it ain't so bad once you get used to it. It's the feeling of getting buzzed that I like."

He set the glass down on the table.

"Where you are staying?" Dawn asked.

"The big gold tower."

"Stay here. There's no sense in you walking back by yourself. Take my bed, I'll be passed out on the couch anyway."

"Well, thank you."


	3. The Memory Remains

**THE MEMORY REMAINS**

 _A teenage Dawn Crenshaw was all alone as she ran across the never-ending football field. She had long blonde hair with a pink streak on the side, wore dark mascara, and had a lip piercing. Her attire was a tight fitting white shirt, black jeans with a chain on the side, and a pair of skate shoes. A loud noise got her attention in the sky. There was a type of helicopter she had never seen before. Then, soldiers jumped out and landed on the field, surrounding her. They wore blue and gray body armor and had on gas masks with glowing blue eyes. Dawn continued to run as they surrounded her. One of them grabbed her, but she smacked the solider on the helmet. The others came to assist the solider, but Dawn struggled free and ran as fast as she could. The sounds of explosions, sirens, and gunshots echoed in the surrounding area. More soldiers closed in on her. Now there was nowhere to run. Then, everything went blurry and Dawn no longer knew where she was._

Dawn opened her eyes and had blurry vision. She had fallen asleep on the couch. After sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and saw the near empty bottle of bourbon on the couch, leaning against her. She was still dressed in the clothes from the night before.

"You're finally up," a voice said to her surprise.

Dawn turned around and saw Damon sitting at the table behind her. He was eating breakfast. For a moment, Dawn forgot about him.

"I got breakfast," he informed her, "I looked around here and you don't have anything to eat. I hope you like sausage, if not, I got us some chicken biscuits."

Dawn walked over to the table and sat down.

"You drink coffee?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled.

As she ate her breakfast, she reminisced about Maddie getting breakfast for her.

"So, Damon, you ready to learn a few things about wasteland survival?" She asked.

"You bet."

"Good, me and you are gonna train."

Dawn and Damon were in the gym. Damon struck a heavy bag as Dawn watched him. His punches were straight and in good form, but he lacked power.

"Remember to use your hips when you punch," she instructed.

Damon followed her advice. He struck the bag again a few more times with more power.

"Now for some kicks," Dawn instructed, "In a street fight, use them sparingly and only use front and side kicks."

Damon kicked the heavy bag using front kicks. He lacked speed and power, but Dawn saw improvement as he struck the bag more.

"Good," she complimented.

Damon did not appear to be sweating much.

"Time for the double end bag," she said, "Moving and fighting is something you have to master."

Damon stood in front of the double end bag and punched it. The bag rebounded and hit him. Dawn giggled.

"It's alright, remember to move quickly move side to side," she encouraged.

As Damon trained on the bag, he showed signs of improvement. He circled the bag while landing punches. The bag bounced back at him, but he avoided being hit due to his quick movements. Then, Dawn had him spar with the focus mitts. He had trouble hitting the mitts as Dawn moved, but later gained composure and struck them with precision. He threw his next punch and accidentally hit Dawn in the face.

"Sorry," he apologized, "You all right?"

Dawn held her cheek and smiled.

"Nice shot," she complimented.

After the sparring session, they went to the back of the hotel where there was a gun range. Dawn demonstrated her ability to shoot the targets with precision as Damon looked on. Her three targets were made of metal and were dressed in Combine clothing, a red cloak, and a member of Civil Enforcement that had a bulletproof vest, blue helmet, and a gray outfit. She alternated between the targets. After her clip was emptied, she reloaded the gun and set it on the stand in front of them that was made of concrete blocks.

"Okay, you ready for this?" She asked Damon.

"Yeah."

Damon picked up the .45.

"Look down the sights and get a good grip, but not too tight," she advised him, "Pick any target."

Damon fired a shot and missed. After a few shots, he struck the Combine target on the arm. Dawn stood behind him.

"Keep it steady, and breathe a little," she advised, "Let me help you."

She put her arms around him, holding together his hands.

"Make sure the front sight is right in the middle of the rear sight," Dawn continued, "Then shoot."

With her assistance, Damon's shot struck the center of the Combine target. Then, they aimed at the red cloak, shooting an accurate shot. Next was the Civil Enforcement target. A perfect shot was made right at the chest area. She let go of him.

"You're good at this," he praised.

"It takes practice. Soon, it will become second nature."

Later that day, Dawn and Damon ran through an empty street which was located not too far from the Strip. Damon ran ahead of Dawn who had trouble keeping up.

"Hang on," she told Damon, "Let me rest a little."

"Tired already?" He teased.

"I just haven't ran this long in a while. My legs will be numb after this."

"I was gonna race you. Not just on the streets, but across the buildings."

"If I was younger, I'd smoke your ass."

Damon laughed.

"I'm serious," she made clear.

"I bet you could, but I want to get you back into shape."

Dawn looked up at an old apartment building. There were black gates on the porches leading up to the top. They ran across the rooftops and circled around to the black gates. Damon lead the way and jumped down. Dawn stopped and watched him leap across the gates on the way down until he made it to ground.

"I gotcha!" He shouted.

Dawn took a deep breath and began her descent down. She jumped across to the next gate and breathed a sigh of relief. There were only three gates on the way down and she leaped across to the next one. When she grabbed onto the gate, it began to creak. She held on tight, but the gate broke.

"Jump down, I got you!" Damon yelled.

Dawn moved over to the short side of the gate, but it broke off, sending her down below. She landed in a dumpster as the gate struck the top. Damon went to check on her and saw she had landed in a pile of rags.

"I thought you had me," she mocked.

"At least you didn't die," he pointed out.

Damon laughed as she stood up in the dumpster.

She climbed out of the dumpster and looked up at the broken gate. The bigger part fell near them. She smiled at him. During the evening, they had dinner at a rooftop restaurant which overlooked the Strip. The lights on every casino were lit up, preparing to light up the night sky.

"So I want to know, what was life like before the war on earth?" Damon asked.

"Wow, it was such a long time ago," she explained, "I remember how I was though, a real miserable bitch. Hmm, I guess not much has changed over the years."

Damon chuckled.

"Anyway, the world looked a lot better, there was less crime, people didn't have to kill each other for resources. It was a more habitable place. Most of the leaves and grass were green, the buildings stood tall without damage, the roads didn't have cracks and holes everywhere. I used to think the world was a horrible place before the invasion, but life now made me appreciate how much better it was then. Good or bad, the memory remains.

"I wish I was around before the war. Was the invasion of earth…was it frightening?"

"Of course, it was. I was just a teen, scared out of my mind. Back then, I didn't know how to use weapons or fight. I had to learn it at Nova Prospekt."

"Nova Prospekt? The prison? You actually went to prison?"

"Yeah, only because I was forced there. I found out the true meaning of hard time."

"But you broke out, fought back. That must've been some kind of experience. What about City 17? Let me guess, it was another hellacious place."

"Definitely. I spent days, weeks, months, fighting off criminals who wanted nothing but to kill."

Dawn smiled at him.

"What about you?" She asked, "What's ol' Junktown like?"

"It's a place for people who just want a simple life. It was started by a man named Killian Darkwater. Anybody is welcome as long as you aren't a troublemaker."

"Wait, Killian Darkwater? I remember that name, he was a solider. He helped with the rebellion, I'm glad to hear he's doing okay."

"Yeah, that place has a town full of soldiers ready to fight. No one would dare to invade it."

"What about your family?"

"Um, I never knew them. Grew up in Junktown at the orphanage."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, maybe I'll find them someday."

"You always been a wanderer?"

"More like a lone wanderer."

"Not anymore."

Damon smiled at her. Dawn looked out at the view from the rooftop and looked at the sun.

After dinner, they sat on top of the hotel and watch the sunset. Dawn and Damon had drank a few beers and littered the cans on the roof. Since Maddie had been gone, Dawn had no reason to watch the sunset; she just caught glimpses of it unless she was passed out drunk. The sun was going down and Damon stood up. He stumbled across the roof from drunkenness as Dawn laughed.

"You amateur," Dawn joked.

She stood up and also had trouble maintaining her balance. Damon stumbled over to her.

"This is hard," he mumbled.

He fell to one knee.

"You never been wasted?" She slurred, "Come on."

She helped Damon up. He laughed as Dawn held onto him.

"We're gonna fall off," he muttered.

"No, I got you. Try to keep your balance."

He stumbled back, but Dawn held his arm. She pulled him forward and held onto him. They stared at each other for a moment in a drunken daze as they had their arms around each other. Dawn shook her head.

"I need to lay down," she slurred.

They made their way through the hotel in a drunken daze. When they got to the room, Dawn fell onto the couch and immediately dozed off. Damon laid on the bed. He still had a can of beer with him and tried to drink it, but it was empty. Then, he sat up and walked over to Dawn. He stared at her and then placed a blanket over her. He walked to the window and looked out at the Strip.

"Gotta keep my promise," he whispered to himself.

As the weeks went on, Dawn continued to teach Damon wasteland survival and she got herself back into shape. They tried various exercises including, weight lifting, pull-ups, sparring, and running. Dawn encouraged Damon and he encouraged her. He made her feel like her younger self; motivating her through the aches and pains. Damon's accuracy with firearms improved and he also learned to create makeshift first aid items. For the first time in his life, he had a true friend in Dawn.

Maddie laid on her bed inside her room with the moonlight shining on her. She was in her early forties and had long blonde hair which she usually kept in pigtails. She was always told by Dawn that she would end up in an asylum, but Maddie never believed her. The reason she ended up in a straightjacket inside a padded cell was different however. Instead of being admitted for the way she would kill those who committed evil acts, she suffered an emotional breakdown after her longtime father figure Rusty Briggs died. It was the second time she lost close companion. The first was her father, Tim, a former scientist at the Black Mesa Research Facility. He trained Maddie into becoming an excellent fighter to conquer the evils of the world. After he died, she was pursued by Detective Rusty Briggs. She reminded him of his deceased daughter who she bore a resemblance to. Soon after, Rusty began to understand her and then sided with her. One fateful day, Rusty fell asleep and never woke up. He was at an old age, but Maddie felt he would live forever. This unfortunate consequence drove her over the edge. Dawn took her to the asylum in hopes that she would get better. That was three years ago.

On the far side of the asylum, in the last cell of a long dark hallway, was a patient who once terrorized the city of New Vegas by forming a large cult in an attempt to rule Sin City. Out of the darkness, Selene approached the glass. She was now in her late forties; her hair was frizzy with red and gray strands and her face showed age. She wore the same red cloak around her that she had many years earlier. Before Selene formed her legion, she was once a soldier of the New California Republic. Her fascination with vampires caused her to kill NCR soldiers at Camp McCarran. She opened her mouth as if she still believed she was a vampire and put her hand on the glass as if she was looking for a way out. Selene had been here for twenty years and had escaped a few times. She tried to regain her former glory but was stopped by the NCR. She vowed to escape again, which caused fear in the staff. Two guards walked down the hall, checking on the cells. As they approached Selene, she smiled. The two guards stopped at her cell. One of them pointed his stun baton at her. She hissed at them, causing them to move back.

Selene laughed, causing the guards to scurry away. She walked backwards into the darkness of her cell when the two guards walked away. One of them was Logan, a younger guard in his early twenties with black emo styled hair, a lip ring, and a small build. He looked back at her cell with a half-smile and looked as if he was fascinated with her.

Later that night, Logan returned to Selene's cell. He stood right in front of the large unbreakable plastic wall and looked right inside; waiting for Selene. Then, she suddenly appeared directly in front of him with a sinister grin. He smirked.

"So, you have come to me," Selene whispered.

She put her hand on the wall.

"Yes, you can have my blood," he replied, "I would honor that."

As he said that, he closed his eyes and looked upward, exposing his neck. Selene smiled and opened her mouth near his neck.

"I'll break you out. Your Legion will reform, stronger than ever," Logan eagerly stated.

"Patience, there will be time for that. First, I need you to prove your loyalty to me."

"Anything my queen."

"I need you to find two women; Maddie Brennan and Dawn Crenshaw. You will keep Dawn alive, as for Maddie, kill her."

"Yes, my queen. I want you to know that me and the others have been recruiting new members for the Legion. Many would love to worship you."

Selene smiled.

"Very good," she praised, "I know you will do good for the Legion."

Logan placed his hand on the glass.

"Please, let me free you," he begged.

"When the Legion arrives here, you will release me. Blood will spill of anyone who opposes us."

Logan placed his head on the glass; looking sympathetic towards her. Afterwards, he walked along the dark and silent halls of the asylum. He knew exactly who Dawn and Maddie were. He had heard stories about them from years past and every story about their successful endeavors angered him. Maddie was located somewhere in the asylum but did not know her cell number. He needed access to the terminal located in the guard room. The room was kept clean and had three terminals on the counter and security monitors for the entire facility. The other guards were on patrol, which worked in his favor. He found the file which contained the information on the patients and began hacking. It only took him a few moments to decipher the code and access the files. He found where Maddie's cell was and anticipated the moment when he would eliminate her to gain Selene's approval. Then, the door creaked open and he quickly logged out and began reading the book "Nikola Tesla and You." A heavyset man walked in wearing the same uniform as Logan. He had a small beard and thinning brown hair. He was the head of night security.

"Sir," Logan greeted.

"How's your patrol?" The man asked.

"No problems so far; lotta loonies in here."

"Yeah, just don't call 'em that okay."

"Yes sir."

"There's a fresh pot of coffee in the break room."

"Great, I'll get some."

The man noticed the lip ring.

"Logan, what did I tell you about that damn lip ring?" He said harshly.

Logan removed the lip ring and the guard left the room.

As Logan drank the coffee in the break room, he needed a plan to obtain the key to Maddie's cell. It was located in another building in which he had easy access with his keycard. He looked out the window of the break room and saw the building which was separate from the others. He took his coffee cup and left the break room, on his way towards Maddie's cell.

He made his way across the garden. There were small bushes that were kept neatly trimmed, a garden with various flowers, a small pond, benches, and a picket metal fence surrounding the area. The silent and eerie feeling that the other guards complained about did not bother him; he enjoyed it. In order to be a prominent member of Selene's Legion, one would have to get used to the feeling of night. He walked inside building which looked no different than the others. The stories he heard about Maddie made him nervous, however, the way she killed intrigued him. There were stories and rumors told by the other guards about Maddie killing bullies when she was a kid, but they remained just that. Logan did not care if it were true or not, he needed to locate Maddie. Then, he saw her cell. There was a steel door with a small square window. As he approached it, he was overcome with fear. He quickly went inside a small storage room and took a deep breath. He took out a large curved knife and ran his fingers on the side. After he holstered it, he went back down the empty hallway. There were supposed to be guards at the guard station, but they must have been on patrol. He used the opportunity to approach Maddie's cell. Sure enough her name was on the door and he smiled. He looked inside the dark room but could not see anything. When he turned around, Maddie appeared in the window. She placed her hand on the glass and smiled at the guard. When he turned around, Maddie disappeared. Then, he noticed a shiny object behind the glass. He stared at it. Then, he saw a pair of lips form a smile. He became startled and stumbled back to the wall. Maddie giggled causing him to become angry.

"You don't scare me," he told her.

Maddie moved closer to the window.

"I scare everyone," she replied.

He began breathing heavily and Maddie smiled.

"The Legion will eradicate those who stand in our way," he vowed, "There is no escape for you."

"So, you've been conned by Selene. That makes another one to kill."

"I'll kill you instead."

Maddie giggled.

"So open the door and kill me," she incited, "That's what she wants you to do. Think you're Legion material?"

He stared at her and held up his knife.

"Come on," she whispered.

She blew him a kiss.

Logan ran back down the hallway and out of the building. Maddie smiled and disappeared into the darkness. He went back out to the garden with chills running through him. He would need to find a way to get her out. He looked up at the moon and went back inside.


	4. Some Kind of Death Wish

**SOME KIND OF DEATH WISH**

Dawn sat in a roadhouse style bar. There were wooden walls that surrounded the place with road signs and motorcycle parts hung on the walls. The counter she was at had warped wood and in front of her was a full display of bottled drinks. She had an energy drink and a Jägermeister in front of her. She began feeling buzzed. After a few minutes, she put her head down on the counter. Dawn frequented this bar ever since Maddie was in the asylum. Although Dawn remained sober for many years, she relapsed back to drinking. Then, three men wearing brown dusters, and desert camouflage pants with combat boots, entered the bar. One of them had on a black cowboy hat and seemed to be the one in charge. They began peering at the women and whistling at them. The three men approached the counter where Dawn was sitting. One of them saw the Jägermeister and grabbed it. After he took a shot of bourbon, he poured himself a glass.

"That's her," one of them said, "That's Dawn Crenshaw."

The man in the cowboy hat lightly tapped her face. Dawn rose her head up and saw the man. She recognized the insignia on one of their shirts. It was a white skull with a red bandana over the mouth and a black cowboy hat. The group was known as the Outcasts. They were a large and dangerous group that roamed the Mojave Wasteland. Dawn was annoyed.

"Dawn, is it?" The man asked.

"What's it to you?" She replied.

"We know about you. We know that you have been around Damon."

Dawn took back the bottle of Jägermeister, poured a small amount into her glass, and drank it.

"The secrets out," Dawn sarcastically replied.

"Where the hell is he?"

"Look, buddy, I ain't telling you where he is. What do you want with him anyway?"

"He knows something, and we want-"

"I don't know where he is."

"Bullshit!"

The bar suddenly got quiet. Dawn seemed unfazed. He walked directly behind her and put his face near her neck. She felt his breath on her as he moved his face near her ears and then her to her hair. He ran his hands through it while Dawn sat there and stared straight ahead.

"Pretty old lady," he whispered, "I'll give you one chance to tell me what you know about Damon and where he is. Your life depends on what you say next."

Dawn held her hands up and giggled.

"Okay, okay," she muttered sarcastically.

With a sudden motion, she elbowed him in the groin. One of the Outcasts pulled her hair back and dragged her off the stool. The bartender slammed both hands on the counter.

"Knock it off!" He shouted, "Leave her alone!"

"You stay the hell out of this punk!" The man snapped back.

Dawn grabbed his shirt to pull herself up just enough to deliver a kick to his head and then elbowed him in the stomach. The other Outcast approached her. He threw a punch at her, but she grabbed his arm and struck him in the ribs and then struck him with a backhand strike to the face. He stumbled back. The man in the cowboy hat wrapped his arm around her neck and pinned her on the table. Dawn tried to struggle free, but he was too strong. He let her go and struck her in the face with an elbow, knocking her to the ground. Then, he kicked her in the stomach. Dawn felt the pain and tried to summon the will to get back up and fight, but she felt weak inside. The bartender approached the three men.

"That's enough!" He shouted at them, "Get the hell out!"

The two other Outcasts shoved him down.

"Stay out of this, or you're dead," one of the Outcasts said.

Dawn struggled back up. She threw a punch at the leader, but he caught her fist and twisted her arm. She went down to one knee. Suddenly, Damon appeared.

"Let her go!" Damon demanded.

The leader turned to him with a wicked smile.

"You heard me," Damon made clear.

"Well lookie here. This poor lady was gonna die for you," the leader said, "You're coming with us."

"This is your last warning," threatened Damon.

"You little punk kid, you would die for this old hag?"

The leader let Dawn go. The three Outcasts walked toward Damon. Dawn tried to get up. She wanted to take Damon out and away from them. Then, Damon began fighting off the mercenaries. He used the skills acquired from Dawn's training. However, Dawn was still worried he may get hurt. She stood up and leaned against a table. Damon threw punches and kicks, striking the mercenaries. The leader took out a black combat knife with red around the edges of the blade and rushed towards him. Damon grabbed his arm and kicked him in the stomach three times. One of the mercenaries grabbed a glass pitcher. Dawn grabbed his arm and spun him around. She struck him in the face with an elbow, knocking him down. She picked up the glass pitcher and smashed it into the other Outcast's face, knocking him to the ground. Damon struck the leader with a knee to the jaw. He fell onto a table and stumbled to the floor. He immediately rushed over to Dawn.

"You okay?" He asked with concern.

"As long as I don't cough up blood," she answered.

"Let's go."

They started to walk out of the bar. Then, the leader grabbed Damon from behind and placed the knife to his throat.

"I'll kill this little punk!" The leader threatened.

"Just stop it!" Dawn shouted, "It's over, just let him go!"

"It will be over when I say it's over. I heard all about you. It looks like you got some kind of death wish.. You and me, we fight."

Dawn knew what she had to do. He was much younger and in better shape than her. There was a good chance if they fought, she would end up dead.

"Fine, you and me," Dawn answered.

"To the death," he said in a harsh tone.

The leader threw Damon down and held the knife out in front. Dawn was still aching as her heart pounded. She took a fighting stance as they circled each other. He smiled at her. She remained calm on the outside, but worried on the inside. He lunged forward with the knife, causing Dawn to move back. He swung the knife at her, trying to scare her. He lunged at her again. Dawn struck him with an open palm strike to the face and kicked him in the leg. The strikes barely affected him. He quickly swung the knife at her. As she moved back, the knife cut the ends of her hair. She fell to the ground and he pounced on top of her. She tried to strike him, but he grabbed her arm and pinned it to the floor. Damon looked on with concern.

"I can't believe killing you was this easy," he mocked.

He was about to stab her until Damon smashed a wooden chair over him. He fell off her, dropping the knife near Dawn. The leader stood up and focused on Damon. Dawn grabbed the knife and noticed the word "SLAYER" carved into the side of the blade. She slowly stood up as the leader grabbed her hair.

"Now, I'm gonna kill her while you watch," the leader taunted.

Then, Dawn sliced his throat with Slayer. He held his throat and fell to the ground as blood poured out. Blood ran down the knife and onto Dawn's arm. A few seconds later, he was dead. Damon grabbed Dawn's arm and they ran towards the exit. The bartender looked down at the dead body.

"You two need to leave the Strip," he warned, "The Outcasts will be after you until they hunt you down. Escape from them is impossible."

Dawn looked at him with concern. Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the exit. When they were outside, they ran down the Strip passing through the crowded walkway.

"We need to get out of here," Damon reiterated the words of the bartender.

"Why?"

"Trust me, I know how they operate. We need to get far away from here."

They ran down the Strip, heading towards the Stratosphere as dusk was about to begin. When they made it inside Dawn's room, they gathered as many weapons as they could carry. Dawn grabbed her assault rifle, .45, the pip boy, and a supply of stimpaks. Damon packed food and water as well as a few weapons. As they ran towards Freeside, Dawn looked back at the Stratosphere, wondering if she would ever make it back. For now, she had to leave her home behind. When they got to Freeside, Damon looked behind him to see if they were followed. They ended up near a store called Mick and Ralph's to rest. The area around them had derelict buildings, cracked pavement, and rubble in random spots on the sidewalk.

"Wait a sec, were do we even go from here?" Dawn asked.

"Out there, in the Mojave," Damon replied, "We don't have a choice now. It's okay, we'll head to Junktown."

"We can take 'em, that gang, I know we can. The Shadow is here."

Damon shook his head.

"Dawn, there will be another war on the Strip. People will die if we stay here and it will be because of me," Damon explained, "That gang, the Outcasts, they want me to join them. I know they have something planned that will do no good for the Mojave. I can't let them take me. I know people that can help us."

"Why do they want you? If there's something you need to tell me, then go ahead, it's okay."

Damon looked worried.

"Not right now, it's complicated. You trust me, right? I mean, you and me, we are in this together right? I don't want them to hurt you. I'm sorry to have dragged you into this."

"Damon, of course I trust you. And you're not dragging me into this. I want to help you."

"Thanks, if we are going to fight the Outcasts, we need help."

"Okay, okay, we'll head there…to Junktown."

"Be ready to fight, those damn thugs are all over the Mojave."

Dawn looked up and saw that the sun was setting.

"Let's head to Casa Madrid in Westside," she suggested.

They reached Westside as the sun was nearly set. Like much of the Mojave, the buildings were decayed and in ruin. They passed the residents, who were mostly drug addicts and ne'er-do-wells; some stumbled across the streets while other leaned against the buildings. The place seemed like Freeside except with friendlier residents. Dawn noticed many of the residents looking at her and Damon. She was not worried about them; she had all the protection she needed. Dawn stopped in front of Klamath Bob's Liquor Store and decided to enter. Damon followed her in. Dawn grabbed a large bottle of bourbon and brought in to the counter. An older man wearing a tactical vest with a blue shirt underneath and a baseball hat was there.

"You don't look like you're from 'round here," he said, "I can tell by your eyes your no junkie."

"Good guess," she replied.

He noticed the rifle she had strapped to her.

"It can get dangerous 'round here," he warned, "Hope you know how to use that."

"I've used it plenty of times, and don't worry about me, got my bodyguard."

Dawn looked over at Damon. They left the store and headed to the Casa Madrid Apartments. They approached the apartment building which looked old and worn. The walls had cracks and some of the windows were broken. There was a man sitting outside. He had on leather armor, a red hat, and also had an assault rifle around his shoulder.

"Got a room?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, we have vacancy," he replied.

"I'll take one."

"It's a deal."

He took notice of their appearance.

"You runnin' from somethin'?" he wondered.

"Why do you say that?" Dawn asked.

"We don't get much people like you 'round here. You look like you live well."

"I thought I'd take my friend and do some exploring. It's a big world out there."

"I hear ya."

Damon smiled; it had been too long since he had true friend. They entered the building which was dank and dark. The carpets and wall were torn and had holes in it. They passed rooms that were unorganized with items scattered everywhere and some doors had been boarded shut. Later that night, Dawn slept in her bed. Their room was in squalor, but she slept comfortably. Damon sat on his bed, still wearing his long black leather coat, black jeans, and combat boots. He looked out the window at the night sky. Then, he looked over at Dawn and then stood up. He walked over to her and made sure she was sound asleep. He noticed the bottle of bourbon on the desk and quietly left the room and headed outside.


	5. Proving Grounds

**PROVING GROUNDS**

Damon walked along the streets of Westside under the blanket of the night sky. A few people remained on the streets, including junkies, prostitutes, and armed guards. Up ahead, past the decaying structures, was a sign that pointed towards The Thorn. He had heard about it for months and now summoned the courage to enter. The entrance was a manhole cover that led underground. Before he entered, he looked behind him.

Inside the Thorn was a crowd of shady characters who were cheering. In a pit below, there was a fight between two men. One of them was a muscular man, and the other appeared to be a raggedy drug addict. Damon made his way to the front and placed his hands on the fence that surrounded the pit. The cheering grew louder as the fight went on. While the crowd mindlessly cheered and begged for blood, Damon watched the fight, studying the larger man. The addict stood no chance as the muscular man pummeled him into the ground. Then, a few armed guards dragged him away as the muscular man gloated to the crowd. Damon looked upward at the platform and saw a woman in leather armor with short red hair. He assumed it was Red Lucy, the owner. Damon knew why he was there and that was to fight. He needed to prove himself.

Red Lucy made her way to the fighting pit with another fighter alongside her. He had long hair and tattoos covered his body. Red Lucy looked among the crowd.

"Who dares to step into the pit?" She announced to the crowd.

The crowd fell silent. Then, Damon pushed his way to the front and held up a wad of cash.

"I'm in," he said.

Red Lucy nodded. Damon was now in the pit, standing in front of his opponent. He had taken off his coat and only had on a tank top, jeans, and combat boots. He noticed the tattoos on his opponent's chest. One of them was a two-headed bear. The crowd cheered as the fight began. The two fighters circled each other. Damon threw the first punch, but the man moved out of the way. He quickly threw another one, but the man grabbed his arm and swung him into the fence. He tried to kick Damon, but he rolled out of the way. As he rolled, he went over dirt, blood, and teeth. The man tried another kick, but Damon grabbed his leg and struck him with a few elbows to his face. The man grabbed his throat and held him up. Damon gasped for air. Then, he struck the man with a knee to the face. The man threw him down and spit out blood. Damon was on one knee, trying to catch his breath. The man quickly ran towards him, but Damon kicked him in the face. As the man stumbled back, Damon delivered a series of punches to his stomach. The man fell on his hands and knees. Damon locked him in a sleeper hold until he fell unconscious.

The crowd cheered as a guard next to Red Lucy rang the bell. Damon was now in front of her with his coat slung over his shoulder. There were two guards standing behind her.

"You fight well," she complimented.

"Thanks."

"Here's your reward."

Red Lucy handed him a wad of cash, bigger than the one he had before.

"If you're ever looking for work, I can make it worth your while," she proposed.

"I appreciate the offer, but not right now."

"Well, come see me if you change your mind. My jobs always pay well."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Damon made his way back to the Casa Madrid. He leaned against the wall outside of his room and counted the cash he received. Red Lucy's offer was tempting, but he felt he needed to protect Dawn. There was also a secret he kept from her. Eventually, they would make it to Junktown and she would find out. Telling her about his true identity made him nervous and his friendship with her could be broken. As he was about to open the door, he thought of an excuse as to why he was out and then realized he didn't really need one. He walked in and locked the door. Dawn was still asleep. He saw the bourbon on the desk which had been consumed. Then, he laid in bed, listening to the silence around him.

The next day, Dawn and Damon continued their trek across the Mojave and had not seen any members of the Outcasts. Dawn had wondered why Damon had not needed much water. The heat was also not affecting him as much.

"So, Damon, what made you come to the Strip?" She wondered, "It seems like a long way."

"I was looking for opportunities."

"Like robbing people?"

Damon laughed.

"No, just exploring and trying to make it on my own."

"So how much further is Junktown?"

"Well, when we see the Mojave Outpost, we'll be close."

They walked along a cracked road, passing derelict buildings with the Strip in the distance behind. Unknown to them, a gang of thugs ran behind them, crossing to the other side of the road. Dawn had not left the Strip in years and suddenly realized they were near the Monte Carlo Suites. It was run by a gang called the Scorpions. She got her assault rifle ready.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

"This is Scorpion territory."

"Scorpions? Never heard of them."

"Yeah, well look out for them."

Damon got his assault rifle ready. Then, a flaming bottle struck the ground in front of them. As they moved back, another bottle struck the ground. Dawn saw an opening through a window in the building nearby.

"This way!" She shouted.

Dawn climbed through the window and Damon followed her into the building which was abandoned. All that was left was a pile of brick, stone, and wood. They headed up a staircase. Damon sprung ahead and went up another set of stairs. As Dawn ascended the staircase, it collapsed. She was able to hold on to the railing as the debris fell to the floor. Damon quickly laid down on the top and extended his hand. He pulled her up to the top floor.

"Thanks, good catch there," she praised.

Damon looked outside through a blown-out hole in the wall and saw the Scorpions heading towards them. The gang was dressed in leather armor and appeared to be heavy drug users due to their bloodshot eyes, skin infections, and decaying teeth.

"We got company!" Damon shouted.

Dawn ran up near a broken part of the wall and began firing. The Scorpions fired back, hitting the brick wall and creating bullet holes. Dawn and Damon returned fire, striking down the oncoming gang. Then, everything fell silent.

"They have reinforcements," Dawn warned.

Damon saw that the only way out was to jump across the other building. There was a large hole to the side of them.

"We can make it across," he said.

Dawn saw more Scorpions heading towards the building. Damon jumped across and held onto a window sill which had been boarded up. He jumped on top on the roof. Dawn looked at the building and took a deep breath. She leaped across and held onto the window sill. Damon pulled her up. Suddenly, an explosion occurred in the building they previously occupied.

"Shit! They have an RPG!" Dawn shouted.

The building they were on was large but unstable.

"This roof looks like it will collapse," Damon pointed out.

The wall from the other building collapsed into the building they were on. Then, the roof collapsed. It slanted downward in the direction where more Scorpions had gathered. As Dawn and Damon slid down the roof, Dawn shot any of the Scorpions she could with her .45. They came off the roof and hit the dirt below. Dawn felt a bit dazed but saw the Scorpion with the RPG. As the RPG was fired, Damon used his rifle to fire a shot directly at the missile. It exploded, killing the nearby gang members. He helped Dawn up.

"Nice shot," she complimented.

"Nothing compared to that slide and shoot you did. That was awesome."

"Yeah, well you saved us from getting blown up."

Dawn and Damon continued through the Mojave, leaving the wreckage and dead bodies shrouded in smoke.

The Outcasts gathered in Jeeps and military vehicles and began driving across the desert. They were well equipped and highly trained. The leader of the Outcasts, Rowan, walked towards the vehicles as the others ran past him. He had on a dark brown duster with the Outcasts logo on the back, had black hair that was slicked back, appeared to be in his late thirties, and had a small muscular frame. He got into the back of a Jeep and ordered his men to drive into the Mojave. As they drove, he looked through a pair of binoculars.

"That bitch will pay," he muttered.

The vehicles drove through the hot desert sand. The man put down his binoculars and continued to look across the desert.

Dawn and Damon made their stop at a town called Novac for the night. In front of the hotel were a few bunkers and a large dinosaur which was a souvenir shop and also had an outlook post in the dinosaur's mouth. After checking in, they settled in to their room. The rooms were kept in neat condition, surprisingly for a hotel in the middle of the desert. Damon sat on his bed and took the clip out of his .45. He cocked the barrel back and pulled the trigger, creating a click sound. He did this a few times.

"You should make sure there's no round in there first," Dawn advised.

"Trust me, I always know."

Dawn placed her .45 on the desk near the bed.

"I'm impressed," Dawn complimented.

"With what?" He wondered.

"With you. It's amazing you managed to make it across the Mojave with little resources, little knowledge of firearms, and little wasteland experience."

"Yeah, well, it's a little easier when you avoid conflict."

"I wish it were that easy."

"Since I've been with you, I've seen quite some adventures."

"I have a gut feeling we're gonna see a lot more."

Damon loaded the clip into the .45.

"I have faith in you," Damon muttered.

"What?"

"You and me, we will survive this."

Dawn smiled.

"I'm still worried," she said.

"About what?"

"Maddie. I can't stop thinking about her. She's all alone in that asylum. Something could happen to her."

"I heard a lot about her. I wouldn't worry, she's like ninja warrior. Who's gonna mess with her?"

"You're right, I can't help but think about her."

Dawn laid down in bed, contemplating about no matter how hard she tried and no matter where she went, there was always trouble. It made no difference how many fights or how many bullets she fired, trouble always came back to her. It was a force that could never be put down. Damon was an excellent ally, but she still wished Maddie was here with her.

When Dawn fell asleep, Damon rose out of bed. He put on a black trench coat over his black sleeveless shirt, black pants, and black boots. Damon looked at Dawn and made sure she was sound asleep. Like the night before, he left the room and wandered out into the Mojave. He walked around Novac, passing the sign which read, "NO VACANCY" with the letters A, N, C, and Y barely visible. The town was in ruins, but in better shape than most of the towns he visited. He walked down the road, passing houses and a farm. Down the road was a scrapyard with residents and travelers entering. When he reached the scrapyard, there was a crowd of people scattered around the piles of steel and salvaged cars. Before he could venture in, a large man stopped him.

"Whoa, kid, you got the cash?" He said in a deep voice.

Damon reached into his coat and handed him the cash. The large man signaled for him to enter by tilting his head. The crowd had gathered around a six-sided fighting pit which was made up of dirt and rocks. There were steel barrels lit on fire placed outside the cage on each of the six corners. Two fighters were inside the cage and appeared to be vagrants. One of them slammed the other against the cage and then threw him to the ground. The scrapyard had a set of old bleachers surrounding the area. Damon sat down next to what appeared to be raiders. They had shaved heads, tattoos, and raggedy clothing. He watched and studied the fight as everyone else mindlessly cheered. Then, Damon noticed a few NCR troopers on the other side. The fights that occurred across the Mojave were not illegal and the only reason he could think of why they were there was to fight. That was the challenge he was looking for.

Another fight was about to begin, this time between two women. The crowd cheered louder as the two women fought. They appeared to be regular citizens looking to take out their anger on each other. The fight went on with hair pulling, clothes ripping, and them rolling around in dirt. Damon remained seated as the crowd roared with excitement. He did not care who won. After the fight, Damon saw an NCR trooper getting ready. He stood up and walked towards the pit.

The NCR trooper wore an olive drab shirt, camo pants, and tan boots. He had a shaved head and was clean shaven. As he was warming up, Damon entered the pit with his trench coat removed. The NCR trooper smirked.

"You look a little young for this, kid," he mocked.

"That's the least of your concern," Damon scoffed.

The bell rang and the two squared off. Damon ignored the crowd noise and thought of a strategy. Before he could, the NCR trooper ran at him and tried to kick him, Damon rolled forward. He knew a ground fight would mean a quick defeat, so he needed a good striking game. He threw a punch, but the NCR trooper blocked it, and kneed him in the stomach. Then, the NCR trooper kneed him in the face, knocking Damon to the ground. The NCR trooper got on top of him, but Damon struck him with an elbow, knocking him off. Then, he attempted a sweep kick, but Damon jumped. When he landed, Damon kicked him in the face. The NCR trooper checked his face for blood as he got up. Then, Damon charged at him, throwing a variety of punches and kicks. Some connected and some missed. The NCR trooper tried another kick, but Damon grabbed his leg and struck the side of his knee with a downward elbow strike. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. Damon grabbed him from behind and held him by the chin, pulling his head back.

"Say it," Damon ordered.

The NCR trooper remained silent. Damon lightly tapped his upper back with the palm of his hand. The NCR trooper tapped the ground, signaling the end of the fight. Damon released him as the NCR trooper crawled away. He collected his winnings and left the scrapyard.

Damon quietly entered the room. Dawn was still asleep. He removed his trench coat and laid down in bed. Then he turned towards Dawn. They were getting closer to Junktown and he knew he would have to tell her the truth about him.


	6. The Harsh Light of Day

**THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY**

Dawn slept into the next morning with the sunlight entering the room and shining across her bed. When she rose out of bed she looked to the bed next to her and saw that Damon was gone. She looked in the bathroom, but it was empty. Then, she went back near the desk by the bed and poured her a small amount of bourbon. After she drank it, she looked out the window and saw nothing but the bunkers, the dinosaur, the desert, and the bright sunlight. She poured herself another glass. Then, Damon busted through the door.

"Dawn, we gotta go right now," he said anxiously.

"What the hell is going on?"

"They're headed this way. The Outcasts are in full force."

Quickly, she got dressed, strapped her pip-boy onto her wrist, got their belongings, and they left the room. Dawn and Damon stood on the roof nearby and saw three Jeeps headed their way. They ran downstairs.

"The old REPCONN facility is up ahead," Dawn notified.

As they ran towards the facility, the Outcasts spotted them and began firing at them. Damon fell to the ground and Dawn shot at the Jeep, causing it to run off the road and into a ditch. She helped him up and they ran as fast as they could towards the facility. Damon sprinted far ahead. Dawn was not the runner she used to be; every step she took sent a shock of pain through her legs. They ran through an old guard post which contained supplies, an overpass, and a few skeletons. The entrance to the REPCONN test site was ahead. There was a rocket on display outside. Dawn didn't have time to figure out if it was a real rocket or just a rusting metal sculpture. Damon ran up the stairs and was out of Dawn's sight. She wanted to yell for him to wait, but she did not have the stamina. Behind her, were two Jeeps and a Humvee. Dawn ran up the stairs and looked around for Damon. Realizing, she had no time to look for him, she ran up to the door. For the first time in a while, luck was on her side as the door was unlocked. She hoped Damon made it inside.

The facility was dark and derelict. There were debris scattered across the floor and at the reception desk, there was a blown-out terminal along with office supplies. She needed to hide quickly and saw a bathroom down the hall. She opened one stall and there was a skeleton inside. As the Outcasts made their way in, Dawn hid in the next stall. She heard them rustling around the reception area. It was a hell of a day, Dawn thought to herself. She was barely awake before encountering another group of mercenaries that wanted to kill her. Then there was Damon to worry about. The kid must have been scared. She kept worrying about him and knew she could not live with herself if he ended up dead. During her reminiscence, one of the Outcasts entered the bathroom. There was a flashlight attached to his M-16. Dawn saw the light move around and remained still. The mercenary kicked a stall door open. Dawn exited the stall quietly and went behind him. She wrapped his arms around his neck and attempted to choke him but his strength was too great for her. He grabbed her arm and flipped her onto the floor. Before he could shoot her, she kicked the M-16 out of his hand and quickly stood up. The mercenary threw punches and kicks at her, but she dodged each one. She landed an open palm strike to his face, sending him into the stall. As he tried to dash out, she slammed the door directly onto his head, knocking him out. Dawn heard more Outcasts heading her way. She got her gun ready and stood near the door. There were multiple lights shining on the wall near her. Dawn knew what the only way out was. She used her .45 to fire at them, causing them to retreat into the lobby. Dawn poked her head out and was immediately fired upon. One of the Outcasts took out a frag grenade and tossed it near her. She ran back into a stall. The grenade exploded, knocking off the bathroom door. The Outcasts approached the bathroom. Suddenly, Dawn shot at them with her assault rifle, killing each of them. She ran down the hallway and headed upstairs.

Dawn looked through a dirty and cracked window. More Outcasts approached the building. Their attire was made up of tactical vests, black pants, boots with small spikes on them, and assault weapons. She saw Rowan, near the steps and he looked irritated. He held up a bullhorn.

"Dawn, I know you're in there," he said into the bullhorn, "I also know how much of a pain in the ass you can be. It's time I cut you a deal. I'm willing to let the whole incident of you killing my right-hand man in exchange for Damon."

There was a puzzled look on her face. It became obvious to her that Damon bad not been completely honest with her.

"What do you say Dawn?" Rowan continued, "He is worthless to you. Give him up.

Dawn needed to find Damon quick and prevent the Outcasts from getting to him. As they marched in, she headed upstairs into the darkness. She used the pip boy light to illuminate the surrounding area. There were old terminals, electronic parts, and lab equipment inside the rooms and in the hallway. The area felt cold and it was eerily quiet. When Dawn reached the end of the hallway, she saw what appeared to be a robot curled up in the corner. It had a spherical body and four arms. There was also a thruster mechanism underneath the body. She turned the corner and walked into a dark room. Inside were parts for robots and on the walls were blueprints to make a mechanical army. There was a small amount of sunlight that made it through into the room. She removed a warped piece of wood which covered a broken window. The harsh light of day hurt her eyes. She blocked out the light with her hand and saw the vehicles outside. The roof was a short climbing distance from her and she knew there was a better chance of taking the unavoidable conflict on the roof. Using the skills Damon taught her, she climbed outside and ascended towards the roof.

The top was laid out with piping, railings and staircases which had rusted. As she looked around for Damon, she noticed a small shack that had its door open. As she made her way over, she heard someone coming up to the roof. Dawn quickly ran into the shack as the Outcasts searched the roof. She had her assault rifle ready. Inside the shack was a small desk with a terminal on it and on the torn leather chair was a skeleton wearing a white shirt with a blue tie and brown slacks. The skeleton head stared at her with its jaws open. Then, one of the Outcast went near the shack. Dawn quietly grabbed him and pulled him inside. She locked her arms around his neck as he attempted to struggle free. He nearly broke free, but Dawn snapped his neck and quietly placed him on the ground. While the Outcasts continued their search, she noticed the flak jacket he had and put it on. The other Outcasts looked around for the missing soldier. One of them signaled for the others to go near the shack. Dawn saw the shadows on the wall. When they got close, she fired shots at them. The bullets hit their flak jackets and caused them to stumble down. Dawn quickly ran up the steps and ran across the platform. She did not know where she was headed. The Outcasts fired shots at her, but the bullets narrowly missed her as they bounced off the steel. The sound created by the bullets striking the steel sounded different. She returned fire as the Outcasts dove out of the way. Dawn ran down the steps and saw a ladder that had a safety cage around it.

She climbed down to the ground and did her best to stay out of sight. She quietly moved towards the vehicles in hopes of finding Damon. Then, the Outcasts surrounded her. There were only four of them and they all had their rifles pointed at her.

"Drop it!" One of them shouted.

Then, Rowan emerged. He had a smirk on his face as he stared at Dawn.

"Lower your weapons," he instructed his mercenaries, "I know Dawn Crenshaw isn't stupid."

Dawn threw her rifle down. Rowan walked behind her and kicked the rifle underneath a Jeep.

"Where is Damon?" He asked sternly.

"What do you want with him?"

"I'm asking the questions here. Where is he?"

"I don't know, he ran off. I was trying to find him."

"Hmmm."

Rowan stepped on the back of her knee causing her to drop to the ground and then grabbed her hair.

"You would die for him?" He fumed, "Do you even know who he is or what he is capable of? He has something we want, and we will take it."

Rowan shoved her to the ground. Dawn was angered and thought about getting up and beating him to a pulp. Then, she remembered the way the bullets sounded when they bounced off the metal railing and that the guns looked to be ones that fired rubber bullets.

"You're gonna kill me with rubber bullets?" Dawn pointed out.

"Wow! I'm impressed," Rowan admitted, "I should have known you would have figured that out. You see, we were not going to kill you, but now, you leave me no choice."

Damon saw the commotion from inside the facility. He was at an open window.

"Hey asshole!" Damon shouted.

They looked up at him, but he vanished.

"Shit! Go inside and bring him out here now!" Rowan ordered the Outcasts.

They went inside the facility. Dawn tried to get up, but Rowan held her down. He put his face near her hair and felt it. He moved his face near her neck and Dawn felt his breath.

"I heard stories about you," Rowan whispered, "I gotta admit, I always had a thing for badass women. But you've seem to have lost that edge."

"Yeah, well I got it back."

Dawn quickly struck him with an elbow and stood up, ready to fight. She struck him with punches to the stomach and then kneed him in the face. Rowan backed into the Humvee and quickly kicked her down. He smiled. Dawn stood back up and tried punches and kicks, but they were blocked. Rowan tried to kick her, but she grabbed his leg and drove an elbow into his thigh. He grunted in pain and then laughed it off. She tried to kick him, but he grabbed her leg and tripped her. He got on top of her and pinned her arms down.

"Damn, you still got claws," he mocked.

She tried to struggle free as he leaned in closer to her. When he got close, he licked her face. Dawn got one arm free and struck him in the face, knocking him off. She tried to kick him when he was down, but he grabbed her leg and swung her back to the ground. He quickly stood up. Then, gun shots were heard. He looked at the building and then the gunfire stopped. Suddenly, Dawn struck him in the groin. He screamed in pain as she locked him in a front headlock, trying to suffocate him. Rowan overpowered her and threw her down, ripping her shirt. She was on all fours. Rowan kicked her in the ribs and she grunted in pain. He bent over in pain while smiling and chuckling. Then, he kicked her in the ribs again. Dawn rolled on her back as the pain reverberated through her. He kneeled beside her and felt her face with the back of his hand. Then, Damon appeared behind him holding a rifle.

"Hey dumb shit," he alerted him

Rowan turned around and was surprised to see him. Damon shot Rowan, who fell to the ground. The bullets bounced off Rowan, indicating rubber bullets. He grunted in pain as Damon helped Dawn up.

"Let's go, now!" he urged.

He helped Dawn into the Humvee and Damon got in the driver's seat. The Humvee had a desert camo design and had a hatch on the roof. He drove out into the desert. Dawn was still dazed as she looked ahead.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked.

"Sorry, I had to hide, I thought you did the same thing. If I would have known you were gonna fight them head on-"

"I was looking for you."

"Look, sorry, okay. But now we got this Humvee and we can drive to Junktown. They have a good doctor there."

"Who was that creep?"

"His name is Rowan, the leader of the Outcasts."

"Why are they after you? Is what he said about you true?"

Damon remained silent. He got a glimpse of Dawn staring at him with an annoyed look.

"I can't explain right now," he stalled, "When we get to the Mojave Outpost, I'll tell you. "

"They had rubber bullets," Dawn clarified, "They wanted to apprehend you, not kill you."

"I know. I ran out of ammo and that's what I shot Rowan with."

Dawn reeled in pain, knowing that she had to face another harsh reality. When the night came, Dawn and Damon stopped at the Mojave Outpost. It was a place for NCR soldiers as well as for travelers. The buildings were old and in desperate need of repair. Merchants, soldiers, and travelers walked around the area. Dawn drank a bottle of beer while staring out at the desert. Damon walked behind her.

"You take the stimpaks?" Damon asked her.

"Yeah, I feel a little better now."

Dawn looked at him.

"You ready to tell me?" She pressed, "Why are they after you?"

"Okay, you're gonna find out anyway," he said, "Just promise me you won't be mad. Promise me you won't think any different of me."

"I'm listening."

"Look you and me, we've travelled together, we helped each other, you're the first real friend I've had."

"Damon, if we really are friends, you won't hide anything from me."

Damon looked out into the desert.

"They are after me because I…am not a human being.

Dawn dropped her bottle.

"Okay, this is a joke," she assumed.

"I'm serious. They want to capture me and create more beings like me. I am what you call a gen 3 synth. I was created in a place called the Institute located in the Commonwealth. I can prove everything to you."

Dawn laughed.

"The Institute in the Commonwealth?" Dawn responded in disbelief, "Maddie told me about that, I never knew it actually existed."

"It is the truth, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Okay, prove it. Prove you are a gen 3 synth."

"Well, I can't right now unless I rip my skin off. It's artificial, but it looks and feels like real human skin. I can prove it to you once we get to Junktown."

"How is it that you act like a human then?"

"The Institute has the technology to make the gen 3 synths act and make them truly believe they are human. There are gen 3's out there who don't even know they are synths."

"So, the Outcasts, they want to create more of you."

"Yes, that's why we need to get to Junktown. Killian can help us."

Damon looked Dawn in the eye and place his hands on her shoulders.

"I know, I'm supposed to help you," Damon pleaded, "But I need to get away from here. You and me, we are still friends, right?"

Dawn smiled.

"Of course we are," she replied, "Why-?

"There are people who fear synths," he interjected, "They think they're abominations."

"You don't seem so bad."

Damon giggled. Dawn hugged him. Then, they went back to the bunkers. There was doubt in Dawn's mind about Damon, but he had no reason to lie to her about this. Now she needed to stick with him and find out if there was any truth to what he said.


	7. The Legion Reborn

**THE LEGION REBORN**

Maddie was in the exercise room practicing her fighting skills. She, unlike Dawn, had kept herself in shape without ever losing a step. Now that Selene was after her, it motivated her even more. She wanted her knives, but they had been confiscated along with her other gear. It was going to be a battle she would have to fight alone. No one in the asylum would believe her; they would band together to stop her. Maddie knew most of the guards were not bad, but if she needed to incapacitate them, she would not hesitate. The orderlies would escort Maddie to the showers, then, it was back to her cell. Since Maddie's behavior had improved, they placed her in a nicer room and she was not required to wear her straightjacket. The room had a window with steel bars running across it. She looked outside and wondered about Dawn; feeling desired to break out and find her. She knew she could do it, but Selene would be coming for her. The only solution she had was to wait for her to send her Legionaries after her.

Logan knew Maddie was alone in her cell. Under Selene's orders, he gathered the members of the rebuilt Legion. They surrounded the asylum, ready to prey. But first, he needed the key to Selene's cell. Logan thought about entering Maddie's room and incapacitating her with his stun gun, but he knew he would have no chance. He tried not to let his nervousness show; Selene knew Maddie could sense fear. Now it was time to prove he was worthy enough to be a member of Selene's Legion. All he had to do was get the key to her cell, set her free, and allow the Legion to enter. He entered the security room and saw the locked metal box that contained the keys. He saw on the security monitors that the Legion had made it inside the asylum. Some of them were on the ground, while others remained on the roof. He took out a small screwdriver and a bobby pin and began picking the lock. As the Legion made their way in, the alarm sounded, startling Logan. Then, the head of security walked in. Logan quickly stopped lockpicking and remained with his back turned to him.

"Logan!" He yelled, "What the hell are you doing? There's a break in!"

Logan slowly turned around and stared at him.

"There's nothing you can do anymore," Logan's voice eerily stated.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Logan used his stun gun to incapacitate him. As he laid on the ground shaking, Logan stood over him.

"The Legion has been reborn," Logan coldly stated.

Then, he struck the guard on the head with his baton and took his keys. He exited the room and walked down the hall with the key to Selene's cell. Some of the Legion members saw him and ran past him. Like the Legion of the past, they were made up of citizens of the Mojave Wasteland who felt wronged. Logan made it to Selene's cell and unlocked the door. Selene emerged from the darkness and stepped out into the hallway with a sinister smile. She stroked Logan's face with the back of her hand as the other Legion members kneeled. He handed her a bottle of Buffout. She opened the bottle and took the pills.

"It's an honor to serve you my queen," Logan praised.

"Excellent work," Selene said, "Take me to Maddie's cell."

Logan led the way down the hall.

The door to Maddie's room could be unlocked by her. She ran down the hall as the alarm echoed throughout. She saw the storage room and tried to open the door. She kicked it, but it would not open. The equipment she needed was inside. Then, a guard saw her and pointed his stun gun at her. Maddie turned to him.

"Hold it!" The guard shouted.

"The Legion is here," she warned, "They will kill you. I can stop them, just let me in the storage room."

"Not a chance, back to your room Maddie."

"Listen to me, they are coming for me. Selene is probably on her way here now."

"Why should I believe you? Now let's go."

Maddie walked towards her room as the guard pointed the stun gun at her. Before she walked in, Maddie kicked the guard down. He tried to get up, but Maddie struck him on the back of the head, knocking him out. She held onto him and set him down on the floor gently. She grabbed the keys and unlocked the storage room.

Outside, the guards were outnumbered by the Legion. They used knives and crowbars to kill any guard they could find. Selene was pleased with their actions. The Legion ran into the building as Selene and Logan followed. As they walked towards Maddie's room, one of the Legion members walked up to Logan. He was bleeding from the chest and blood was coming from his mouth. Then, he fell to the ground. Logan saw the stab wounds on him. Another member of the Legion walked towards them holding her neck as blood leaked through her fingers. She leaned against the wall and fell to the floor. Up ahead, there was a shadowy figure fighting off the Legion. Selene grinned. She saw the figure in the darkness step on a member of the Legion. Then, the shadowy figure looked back at Selene. Maddie appeared in her face paint; a white face with black around the eyes and a smeared red smile across her lips. Her blonde hair was in pigtails and she had on a half red and half black leather outfit with black boots. She also had knives in both hands, one of them a dagger she got from Tim when she was a child. There were also two katanas strapped to her back. She smiled at Selene.

"I'll bring her to you," Logan was willing to do.

Selene stopped him.

"I'll take care of her," she demanded.

Selene hissed and then walked towards her. She took off her red cloak, revealing her white patient attire, as Maddie waited. Selene tried to punch her, but Maddie grabbed her arm and kicked her in the stomach. Then, she struck her with an elbow, knocking her down. Maddie tried to kick her, but Selene blocked it. She struck Maddie in the stomach, but Maddie kneed her in the face. She giggled. Then, Logan used his stun gun on Maddie. She went down and tried to fight off the pain. He raised his baton into the air, but Maddie kicked him in the knee and then in the face. Other members of the Legion surrounded her. Maddie fought them off but was weakened by stun gun. Two Legionaries grabbed her arms and held her as Selene stood back up. Maddie kicked her and used her boot knife to slice the Legion members holding her in the leg. As soon as the Legion members let go, Selene tackled her to the ground and tried to bite her. Maddie held her back and then used Selene's momentum to slam her head into the floor. Maddie quickly stood up. Logan ran at her, but Maddie kneed him in the stomach and grabbed his throat. She struck him in the chin with an open palm strike, knocking him unconscious. She saw Selene run outside.

Maddie ran out to the garden and looked for Selene but there was no sign of her. The effect of the stun gun still made her weak, but she needed to fight through it. Three members of the Legion watched her from the rooftops and scaled down. Maddie smiled at them. They ran at her, but Maddie easily disposed of them with one strike. Another Legion member tried to take Maddie by surprise by leaping out from behind a large hedge. She kicked him right under the chin and he fell onto the hedge. Six more Legionaries surrounded her and she took out her two daggers. The Legionaries charged her, quickly and silently. Maddie stabbed anyone that approached her. She flipped the last one over and stabbed her. Then, Selene emerged from a dark area and hissed at Maddie. She scaled up onto the roof. Maddie spotted her and quickly climbed up. One side of the roof was slanted toward the inside and the other was large and flat. Selene surprised Maddie by running out from behind a brick post. She tackled Maddie down and held her throat. The Buffout was taking effect.

"First it will be you, then Dawn," Selene threatened with a crazed look in her eyes.

She took out a large gothic knife and held it in the air. Maddie kicked Selene in the back, knocking her off. She kicked Selene, but they had no effect on her. Selene tried to stab Maddie, but she used her own dagger to block. They circled each other. Maddie refused to let Selene intimidate her. Selene hissed and showed her teeth, still believing she had fangs. Maddie smirked and motioned for her to come closer. Selene ran at her and Maddie delivered a kick to her stomach. She elbowed her in the back of the head, but Selene grabbed her arm and tried to slice her neck. Maddie moved back as the knife missed her throat. She retaliated with a knee to the face. Maddie tried to stab her, but Selene moved. The Buffout in her system was still in full effect. Selene threw multiple strikes at her, but Maddie used her masterful skills to block and dodge any incoming strike. She used her boot knife and sliced Selene on the face who was not fazed by the cut. Then, two more Legion members came to Selene's aid. Maddie struck one of them in the stomach and kicked her off the roof. After dodging a few kicks from the other Legion member, Maddie struck him with an elbow and the pushed him off the roof with her leg. While Maddie was distracted, Selene snuck up behind her and attempted to slice her throat. Maddie tried to break free and keep the knife away. Selene kicked Maddie in the back of the leg, causing her to fall on the slanted roof. Maddie slid down and stopped just before falling off onto the steel picket fence below. Selene stood over her.

"My only regret from killing you is that you will not witness the suffering and death of Dawn," Selene attempted to intimidate her, "We own the night."

Selene tried to stab Maddie as she tried to stay on the roof. Then, Selene threw her knife at Maddie. She caught the knife and threw it back at her, hitting Selene in the leg. Selene fell forward and grabbed Maddie who managed to stab the dagger into the roof. Selene hung onto Maddie's leg as she dangled over the steel picket fence while Maddie's knife began to loosen. Selene took out another knife. Maddie knew she had to let go. Before Selene could stab her, Maddie pulled the knife out and they fell to the ground. Maddie used her reflexes and avoided the steel pickets. She rolled on the ground. Selene was impaled through her lower back in the pickets and appeared to be in no pain.

"My Legion will end you…" Selene whispered as blood came out of her mouth.

Selene let out an insane laughter that echoed as her life was no more. Then, Logan ran outside and pointed the stun gun at Maddie. She threw a throwing knife at him which stuck in his shoulder. He screamed in pain as he dropped the stun gun and fell to the ground. She threw another knife at him, striking his other shoulder. She quickly ran towards him and kicked him onto his back and sat on top of him while holding his hair.

"So much for your Legion," Maddie taunted.

"Please don't…."

"What do you know about Dawn?"

Maddie pulled out one of the knives from his shoulder.

"She lives on the Strip."

"Tell me something else."

"I heard on the radio that she's headed south from here, I don't know where."

"You better not be lying."

Maddie pulled out the other knife and then put her hands on his throat. Then, the siren was reactivated. Maddie stared at Logan and wagged her finger at him. She let him go and quickly scaled the roof as Logan watched her disappear into the night.


	8. On a Crash Course of Destruction

**ON A CRASH COURSE OF DESTRUCTION**

Damon drove the Humvee across the decayed road that ran through the desert. The skies were clear and the sun delivered an immense amount of heat. Dawn had been used to the heat; being a desert dweller her entire life. Whether Damon really was a synth or not, she still found a good ally. She taught him how to fight and he brought new life into her. But how could Damon help her as he promised? Could he turn back time and make the invasion never happen? That would be one way he could help her.

"Just a few more miles," Damon informed.

He looked over at her and then looked at the road ahead.

"You okay?" He asked.

Dawn was leaning against the window.

"Yeah," she muttered.

"What's wrong?" He urged.

"Nothing."

"It's me, right? Me being a synth."

"I already told you, I'm okay with it."

"Be honest."

"I am being honest. I didn't run. I'm still here."

"Right."

"I just never met a synth before. Maddie had a theory about their existence, but I never believed her. Years ago, she told me there was a factory or a plant of some sort, that she found inhabited by synths."

"Let me guess, the gen 1's. They know all about them."

"Who's they?"

"The Institute. They were test subjects. Failed subjects."

"What if you end up like them?"

"Not a gen 3. I was created for one purpose; to survive in a post-nuclear scenario."

"Looks like you're doing a great job."

"All thanks to you."

Damon drove the desert camo Humvee across the empty highway as Dawn sat next to him. All she had on was a pair of torn jeans, tan boots, and a ripped tank top. Out in the distance was the Mojave Desert. The stimpaks has recovered her injuries from the encounter with the Outcasts. Then, Dawn looked in the sideview mirror and saw three bikers behind them.

"Those assholes are back," she warned.

Dawn got her .45 ready as Damon increased the acceleration as the bikers gained on them. One of them took out a shotgun and fired at the Humvee. Damon swerved, but was able to regain control.

"Keep it steady!" Dawn instructed.

She leaned out the window and shot back. The bikers moved to the other side. Dawn got out of her seat and opened the hatch.

"Dawn, what the hell are you doing?" Damon asked.

Even she was aware this was not a smart move, but realized she had no choice. They had a whole arsenal of weapons and she only had a .45 with limited ammo. She looked up at the blue sky and stood up with half her body outside. She shot at the bikers, but they swerved and shot back at her. The bullets struck the Humvee. Damon was startled.

"You okay?" He asked with concern.

Instead of answering, Dawn fired back. One of the bullets struck the gas tank of the motorcycle, causing fuel to leak out. The bike caught fire and crashed. The remaining bikers shot at her causing Dawn to duck down and fall to the floorboard. Damon quickly turned to her. He felt relieved when he saw she wasn't hit.

"Dawn! You scared the shit out of me," he said.

"Just keep…lookout!"

Damon saw he was about to hit a crashed truck. He swerved away.

"Keep your eyes on the road," she demanded.

"Right," he agreed, "Up until my head gets blown off."

Dawn reloaded her .45 and stood up through the hatch. In quick succession, she shot one biker, knocking him off and sending him rolling on the ground. Then, she shot the remaining bike in the tires, causing it to crash. The Humvee pulled away from the motorcycles. Dawn sat back down to catch her breath.

The Humvee drove down the desert road, passing by a ghost town that was destroyed by radiation. There were also more abandoned buildings and a gas station nearby. Then, Damon saw another Humvee behind them.

"Here they come," he warned.

Dawn got up and stood up through the hatch. One mercenary had a missile launcher and fired at them.

"Move right!" Dawn yelled.

Damon steered to the right as the missile exploded on the ground. They fired another shot. Damon swerved as the missile exploded behind them. Dawn shot back at them. The mercenary with the missile launcher ducked back into the Humvee as her bullets bounced off the vehicle

"It's an armored vehicle," Damon pointed out.

"Don't worry, I have an idea," Dawn said as she got ready to return fire.

Dawn waited for them to fire another missile. Using accurate aim, she shot the oncoming missile which exploded near their Humvee.

"Try it again you assholes," Dawn muttered to herself

The mercenary shot a missile at them. Dawn reacted quickly and shot the missile again. This time, it exploded, causing the Humvee to explode and be engulfed in flames. Damon drove down the road, leaving the flaming wreckage behind them. Dawn sat back down.

"Whoa! Dawn, you wrecked them real good," Damon praised.

"Yeah, I got this gut feeling that's not all they sent after us."

"Just shoot 'em as they come."

"I'm almost out of ammo."

Then, Damon saw a large military truck approaching them.

"You ain't kiddin'," Damon said.

When Dawn turned around, she saw the vehicle along with three more motorcycles. Damon drove faster, but the thundering sound of the motorcycles became louder. Dawn shot at the oncoming motorcycles, but the drivers moved to the side. Damon saw two motorcycles behind him.

"Hang on!" Damon yelled.

He slowed down and the two motorcycles crashed into the Humvee. The last biker swerved and the jumped on the Humvee. Dawn aimed her gun, waiting for the biker to appear. When the biker appeared on the roof, Dawn shot him in the armor. The biker pointed a shotgun at her, but Dawn grabbed it and held it away from her. The gun discharged away from them. The biker grabbed her hair and pulled her up to the roof. He attempted to point the gun at her, but Dawn held it away from her. As they struggled, she managed to point the gun at him. He moved to the side before the shot was fired. The biker struck her with an elbow. She kicked him in the leg, but he used the shotgun to strike her in the stomach. She went down to one knee and he pointed the gun at her. She quickly took her knife out, stabbed him in the arm, and quickly grabbed the shotgun. With one pull of the trigger, he flew off the Humvee and landed on the hood on the military truck. The driver ignored the body as it rolled off onto the road. The driver of the truck rammed the Humvee causing Dawn to fall back inside. The driver rammed the Humvee again, knocking her near the dashboard.

"I'm going after them," she said.

"How?" Damon asked with a puzzled look.

Dawn exited through the hatch and used the shotgun to fire shots at the truck's window which was bulletproof. Then, mercenaries from the back of the vehicle began shooting at her. Dawn jumped off the Humvee and landed on the military truck. Damon saw her on the truck behind her.

"Dawn!" He yelled, and then mumbled, "You crazy bitch."

She got on the roof and in quick succession, shot the mercenaries. She jumped down onto the flatbed and shot two more mercenaries. One of them flew off the back and hit the pavement. One mercenary tackled her, causing the shotgun to slide off the truck. He dragged her near the edge. Dawn punched him in the stomach, but he had on a bullet proof vest. He tried to throw her off, but Dawn fought back. The mercenary grabbed a knife and tried to stab her. Dawn grabbed his arm and swung his arm around, using the knife to slice his throat causing blood to splatter on her. She tossed him off the truck. Dawn grabbed the assault rifles and ammo. Then, the truck rammed the Humvee, causing Dawn to fall.

Damon swerved to the side and slowed down, allowing the truck to pass him. He saw Dawn on the flatbed. Then, she jumped back onto the Humvee and crawled through the hatch despite her aching pain. Damon noticed the blood.

"What the hell happened?"

"Don't worry, the blood isn't mine," she informed.

The truck stopped in front of them, blocking their path. Damon hit the brakes and Dawn exited the Humvee. The driver shot at her, but Dawn used the Humvee as a shield. She shot back, but the driver moved behind the truck. She ran after him but found no one on the other side. Then, he dragged her under the truck and held her arms. The gap was large enough to fit them.

"Sweet lady you are," he whispered.

He laid on top of her with a knife to her throat. Dawn remained motionless. Then with a quick move, she struck him in the face with the back of her head. He dropped the knife and Dawn grabbed it. She tried to stab him, but he quickly crawled out. She went out the other side. The man appeared out of nowhere, but Dawn sliced the side of his cheek causing him to fall onto the truck. Then, Damon drove the Humvee forward. Dawn saw what was about to happen and backed away. He drove the Humvee straight into the mercenary, crushing him against the truck. Dawn got her .45 and the missile launcher and got back inside the Humvee.

"Nice driving," Dawn complimented.

They drove down the road. Along the way, they saw more desert and roads of ruin. Dawn felt exhausted and leaned back against the seat. Damon noticed the blood that was on Dawn's neck. He grabbed a small rag and wiped the blood off. Dawn looked at the blood and at Damon. She cracked a smile. Then, a vertibird flew behind them and followed the Humvee as it hovered in the sky. Suddenly, bullets struck the Humvee creating a loud pinging sound. They were both startled. Dawn looked behind her and saw the vertibird behind them and nearly at ground level. Dawn grabbed the missile launcher but the vertibird fired more bullets causing the Humvee to swerve. Dawn fell onto the floor as the missile launcher slid away.

"The Humvee won't hold up much longer!" Damon shouted.

Dawn reached for the missile launcher and quickly stood up through the opening. She fired a missile which struck the wing of the vertibird. It drifted back and off to the side. She realized there were only three missiles left and was out of range. Then, four more mercenaries on motorcycles arrived.

"Dawn…," Damon said with concern, "Hold on to something."

Dawn turned around and saw a crashed gas truck blocking the road. There was a steel ramp in front. The Humvee went on the ramp and launched in the air as motorcycles followed and flew into the air behind them. Dawn fired shots at them with her .45, taking out three of the bikers while still in the air. She shot the last bike in the gas tank, causing it to explode. The Humvee hit the ground and continued down the road.

"Nice shootin'!" Damon complimented.

The vertibird had returned.

"It ain't over yet," Dawn reminded him.

Dawn shot another missile, but the vertibird shot it out of the air. The vertibird returned fire, striking the Humvee with a hail of bullets. Then, the Humvee began to slow down. The rear tires blew out causing the wheels to create sparks on the pavement. Dawn shot another missile at the vertibird, this time striking the other wing. Smoke emitted from the vertibird, but it showed no signs of slowing down. The Humvee ran over a large hole and flipped on its side. Dawn ducked back in just in time. The vertibird flew past the crashed Humvee and turned back around.

"Damon?" Dawn asked while coughing from the smoke, "Are you okay?"

Damon waved the smoke away with his hands.

"Yeah, but the Humvee's had it. Is that damn thing still following us?"

He turned around and saw that Dawn was not there. Through the cracked windshield and the smoke, he saw her with the missile launcher. He quickly unhooked his seatbelt and exited through the door window which was now above him. He saw the vertibird in the distance coming towards them.

"Hide!" Damon shouted, "Let them think we're dead!"

"I can take it down."

Damon grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against the Humvee. As the vertibird flew by, Damon helped Dawn to the other side.

"Now take it down," Damon instructed.

Dawn fired a missile, striking the vertibird which descended to the ground as heavy smoke blew out from the back. It crashed into the desert and exploded. Dawn tossed the missile launcher aside and kneeled to the ground, holding her arm. Damon put his arm around her and looked at the long desert road ahead.


	9. Along the Lonesome Road

**ALONG THE LONESOME ROAD**

Maddie stood on top of a rocky hill and looked ahead. There was a town that had a roller coaster around a hotel. She was still dressed in her outfit from the night before and still had on her face paint which was beginning to wear off. She had a small messenger bag that strapped over her shoulder and around her waist. Maddie went down the hill and jogged towards the town. Upon entering the town, she saw it was damaged from bullets and explosions and there were dead bodies on the street and leaning against the buildings. To the left of her was the Bison Steve Hotel and to the right was the Vickie and Vance casino. There was also a building up ahead with a large sign on top which read "MOJAVE."

The inside was deserted and appeared to be an office for postal service. There was trash and debris littered everywhere and what appeared to be a few shotgun blasts on the walls. A speck of blood was on the counter and there was a note pinned by a knife. It read "LEAVE NOW!" Maddie was not bothered by the grim warning and turned on the radio in hopes of getting news around the wasteland but instead the song "Big Iron" by Marty Robbins was playing. She went to the back of the building where there was a storage room and further down the hallway was a bedroom. Then, she saw what appeared to be parts of an android in a small closet. There was an arm, a torso, and a synth component. Maddie had seen these before and had wondered if the bodies in the street were humans or androids.

Maddie ran out of the building. As soon as she got outside, she saw four mercenaries. One of them was a young woman with short spiky hair holding an assault rifle. She was not wearing a shirt, only military pants and combat boots. She had a pair of Outcasts stickers attached to her breasts and looked to be in athletic shape. The other three also had assault rifles. Maddie hid behind the building. She knew they were the same gang that was after Dawn. Then, she saw more Outcasts come out of the Vikki and Vance casino. Maddie quickly scaled the building and hid on the rooftop behind the "MOJAVE" sign. She saw Rowan surrounded by the Outcasts. Then, the young woman walked down the street with the mercenaries and met with him. He pointed for her to head into the Bison Steve Hotel. Maddie had thought the worst that Dawn might be held captive by them. Rowan and three of his mercenaries walked down the street and headed towards the road. The mercenaries remained outside, each of them armed. Maddie only had her knife, dagger, and katanas. The three mercenaries spread out across the street and guarded the small town. Maddie had to take them out silently.

As a mercenary moved to the side of the building, Maddie scaled down and jumped on top of him. She snapped his neck and dragged his body behind a dumpster. There were two more by the Vikki and Vance casino. She ran to the side of the casino and jumped up on the platform where the Vikki and Vance sign was. The two mercenaries were standing right next to each other.

"Man, she's got a hell of rack man," one mercenary said.

"I wonder why she's always shirtless."

"You complaining about that?"

"No, I just wish I could spend some alone time with her."

"Yeah, good luck. If Rowan finds out-"

"Hey, it just a dream of mine okay."

Then, Maddie jumped down onto them; grabbing the back of their heads and shoving them down. With one quick motion, Maddie stabbed one mercenary and used her boot knife to slice the other one's throat. She decided to try and look in the Vikki and Vance casino. She walked in and saw the damaged casino. Slot machines were turned over, and there were bullet holes and burn marks on the walls and carpet. There was a black car on display behind a velvet rope with numerous bullet holes, shattered glass, and flat tires. She followed a blood trail that led behind the cashier counter. It had a cage in front and there was an older man sitting in a chair. The door was locked. With one hard side kick, the door flung open. The old man looked up at her. He was bruised and bloody.

"No, I told you everything," he muttered.

The old man reminded her of Rusty. She walked over to him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You're not one of them? Good," he continued to mutter, "They stormed in here, beat me, my wife, took the residents.

"It was the Outcasts. They're looking for someone. The same one I'm looking for."

"If you can find Ruby, she can tell anything you need to know about who you're looking for. Please help us."

Maddie knew she needed to help him as well as take down the Outcasts.

"Okay, where are they? I'll make them suffer," she delightfully offered.

"Across the street in the Bison Steve Hotel."

Maddie took a stimpak out of her bag and gave it to the old man.

"You stay here and don't come outside until I make it back," Maddie instructed.

Maddie walked outside and headed towards the Bison Steve Hotel. She went near the entrance and saw a man with blonde hair leaning against the wall. He seemed nervous and had his eyes closed. Maddie smiled.

"Hey," she greeted him.

He opened his eyes and saw Maddie. He was startled by her face paint and dropped his gun when he tried to point it at her. The gun fell near Maddie.

"You're not gonna kill me," he begged, "Don't kill me."

"Relax, I need to find Ruby. Do you know where she went?"

"Inside. I'm looking for her too. This is my town, I'm the law and order around here."

Maddie laughed.

"What's so funny? I'm the deputy."

"You know, I could've killed you."

Maddie picked up his gun and handed it to him.

"The Outcasts are in there. Rowan left, but his lieutenant, Ivy, has the place fortified."

"Ivy?"

"You'll know when you see her."

"If you'll excuse me, I need to get inside."

She walked past him and entered the hotel. The inside was dark, the carpets were torn, and the walls were damaged. Maddie could have left the town but felt compelled to help the old man; she reminded him of Rusty. There was a blood trail that led down the hallway. She followed the trail which led to a large dining hall. Inside were more mercenaries who were all armed. There were makeshift barricades around the room. Maddie quickly ran inside and hid behind one of the barricades. One of the mercenaries came near her and she quickly grabbed him, pulled him over the barricade, and stabbed him. She took his frag grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it across the room. The loud explosion startled the mercenaries. Maddie used the darkness and stabbed as many mercenaries as she could. It appeared all of them were dead until she was struck in the back and fell to the floor. As soon as she turned over, Ivy got on top of her and began strangling her. It did not take long before Maddie broke the hold and kicked her leg.

When Ivy went down, Maddie elbowed her in the face. Maddie activated her boot knife and threw a kick at her. Ivy quickly moved back as Maddie tried to kick her. Ivy grabbed her leg and tripped her to the ground. Maddie took out her knife, but Ivy pinned her arm down. Then, Ivy struck her with a knee to the face. Maddie grabbed Ivy's shoulders and headbutted her in the nose. She quickly got up and threw a series of punches at her. Some connected while some were blocked. Ivy back flipped and began throwing kicks. Maddie blocked each one. Then, she struck Ivy with a knee to the chin and then a kick to the head. Ivy stumbled back. Maddie took out her knife and tried to stab her. Ivy grabbed her arm and flipped her to the ground. She placed her boot on her throat while holding her arm. Then, Ivy saw someone enter and ran. The deputy shot at her, but Ivy dove behind a barricade. Ivy was concealed in the darkness and ran upstairs. Maddie stood up.

"You okay?" The deputy asked.

"I'm fine."

Maddie smirked at the deputy.

"So, you're the deputy?"

"I try to be, but things are just…complicated."

"Where's Ruby?"

"Ruby and the rest of the town must be holed up somewhere upstairs."

"I'm going after them.

"Then I'm coming with you. It's my job to protect this town."

Maddie giggled.

"I know, I failed," the deputy admitted, "But I was outnumbered."

"Do you know how many times I've been outnumbered?"

"All right, now let's go after her."

Maddie and the deputy went up the dark stairway. She had her dagger ready and the deputy was ready to fire. The hallways had rooms on each side and provided little light. They walked through slowly. Then, a mercenary ran out of a room. The deputy shot him down before he could fire. More mercenaries ran into the hall and shot at the deputy and Maddie who hid in a doorway. He dodged the bullets and fired back, striking them. When they went down, Maddie finished them off by stabbing them. There was a corner up ahead and Maddie hid behind it. She signaled for the deputy to stand behind her. Two mercenaries were heading towards them and both were armed with knives. When one got near her, Maddie grabbed him and threw him down behind the wall. She stabbed him as the other mercenary backed away and went into the darkness. The deputy ran into the hallway and shot at him.

"I think I got him," the deputy assumed with pride.

Maddie stared into the darkness.

"No, I can still sense his fear," she informed.

She ran into the darkness. A few seconds later, she dragged the dead mercenary out into the light. The deputy took out a flashlight which lit the way. Every room was boarded up except the one at the end. The door was missing and there was daylight that shined into the room. As soon as Maddie entered, Ivy surprised her by leaping out from the closet. They rolled around on the carpet exchanging punches. The deputy aimed his gun but could not get a clear shot. They both stood up and struggled with each other until they were near the window. Maddie hit her with a kick to the head and knocked Ivy right out the window. Ivy fell straight to the ground. When Maddie looked outside, she was gone.

Rudy and rest of the town were gathered on the streets. The old man hugged Ruby. Maddie stood by.

"Oh, thank you," Ruby was delighted.

"I never got your name," the old man was curious to know.

"Maddie."

"Mine's Johnson Nash. Thank you for what you have done for us."

"If there is anything I can do for you-," Ruby started to say.

"She's looking for someone named Dawn Crenshaw," Johnson interjected.

"Oh yes, I heard on the radio they made it past the Mojave Outpost and were headed south. She was traveling with someone, a young man."

"A young man?" Maddie asked with confusion.

"Yes," Ruby continued, "Why there's nothing south for miles except for Junktown. That must be where they're headed."

"Thank you. By the way, you should look into getting more protection for this town."

"We were supposed to get some NCR reinforcements here," Johnson explained, "They sure are taking their time."

Maddie trekked across the lonesome road of the Mojave wasteland with no sign of Dawn or the young man she was traveling with. All she knew was that she had to keep heading south. She walked down the lonesome road passing mountains, billboards, craters, and miles of desert sand. She saw smoke and fire ahead of her. Closer inspection revealed that there were crashed motorcycles and dead bodies on the road. There was a motorcycle that seemed to be good condition. Maddie picked it up and rode the cycle down the road. Along the way, there was more wreckage and more bodies. She stopped when she reached a large military vehicle still engulfed in flames. There was a dead body near the truck and an overturned jeep nearby. Maddie continued along the lonesome road.


	10. A Place Called Junktown

**A PLACE CALLED JUNKTOWN**

Dawn and Damon walked across the lone desert road and saw a town not too far ahead. They still had plenty of supplies and weapons.

"That's it, Junktown," Damon acknowledged.

"Are you sure it's not a mirage?"

Damon jogged towards the town as Dawn trailed behind. Junktown's entrance was surrounded by steel, stacked cars, and metal trailers. She had no idea what to expect from Junktown, but she hoped it was better than wandering through a desert. There was a large steel wall surrounding the town. Damon was up ahead, near a large blue trailer speaking to someone. Dawn approached them.

"This is Dawn," Damon introduced, "Without her I'd be dead."

The man guarding the entrance had a black buzzcut and wore green army fatigues. There was a large metal chest plate around him and he had a sniper rifle and two sidearms.

"Dawn, this is Kalnor, he's one of the guards here," Damon told her.

"Nice to meet you," Dawn greeted.

"Your assistance is appreciated. I'll let you in, but keep your weapons holstered unless you are provoked," Kalnor stated, "I trust Damon will keep you out of trouble."

"Kalnor, don't worry about her," Damon assured.

Damon guided Dawn ahead of him as they walked through the trailer. She took in the sights of Junktown which had the feel of an abandoned city. There were small buildings, metal shacks, and apartment buildings **.**

"Finally home!" He said, holding out his arms.

"I'll admit, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, who came up with Junktown?"

"We are about to meet him."

They walked towards Darkwater's General Store which was a former gas station. The pumps were still outside and some still had the hoses attached and there were a few dune buggies and motorcycles in the parking lot. There was a large glass window outside which had "DARKWATER'S" written on it. Damon opened a makeshift door made of steel and entered. The store had weapons, ammo, clothing, armor, and consumables in full display. A man with short dark blonde hair and a stubble beard turned around from the weapons display. He had on a blue sleeveless vest with a white shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of white and blue athletic shoes. He appeared to be in his mid-forties.

"Damon, nice to see you back," he greeted Damon and then asked, "Who's your friend?"

"This is Dawn Crenshaw," Damon answered.

"Ah yes, Miss Crenshaw, I heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you. Name's Killian, Killian Darkwater. I'm the mayor of this fine town."

"I heard a lot about you," Dawn said, "You helped with the rebellion years back."

"The good old days."

Dawn and Killian stared at each other for a brief moment.

"Killian, we got a problem," Damon interrupted their locking eyes, "Those damn Outcasts are after us."

"So I've heard," Killian responded, "It's all over the radio. If they are headed south, it's likely they'll stop here."

"Look, we can leave," Dawn suggested, "I hate to bring this burden on you."

"I'd hate for you to leave. Besides, you can't keep running."

Dawn and Killian smiled at each other. He handed her a bottle of purified water while locking his eyes onto her. Her body began pulsating slightly as she attempted to grab the water, but instead grabbed his hand. She chuckled and then took the water as Killian kept his smile.

Later that evening, Dawn and Damon walked around the town. They walked past old stores, homes, and piles of scrap metal. It looked like a 1950's version of the future.

"What do you think so far?" Damon asked.

"It's actually a nice small town," she admired as she looked around, "I like the 50's sci-fi style; never seen a town like it."

"It's really a synth refuge."

"Everyone here is a synth?"

"Mostly. Most humans still can't accept that synths can be a normal part of human society."

"Killian seems like a good man for providing this."

Dawn and Damon walked side by side, passing more homes and other residents. She had wondered how many of them were synths. It was also safe to assume that the residents may have thought she was a synth.

"Dawn, I know what I said earlier, about proving I'm a synth," Damon reminded her.

"Look, I believe you," she reassured him, "If you say you're a synth, then you're a synth."

"You really believe me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. And remember, I still owe you. I won't let you refuse it too."

It was almost too good to be true, Damon thought to himself. However, he felt relieved that Dawn had accepted him. Later on, Dawn was curled up on the couch in Damon's house watching TV. Earlier, she had gone to the liquor store to pick up a bottle of bourbon which was leaning against her. Damon's house had a small couch, two La-Z-Boy chairs, and an oval coffee table in front of a Radiation King TV. Then, Damon walked in.

"Hey, Killian wants to talk with you," he told her.

"About what?"

"I don't know, you should go see him. He's near the diner by his store."

Dawn stood in front of the retro diner as the evening grew darker. The sign above read "DINER" with blue neon lights and there were 50's style cars in the parking lot which were kept in pristine condition. There were also four black motorcycles outside. She had not seen anybody drive in the town and assumed they were for show. She saw Killian standing by the entrance with three guards surrounding him. He waved to her and she approached him.

"Glad you could make it," he happily greeted her, "Don't mind them, can't be too careful with all the trouble going on. I would like for you to join me."

"Oh yeah, that would be great."

The inside had checkered floors, pink and blue seats, a jukebox, and numerous retro signs and ads on the wall. Dawn and Killian sat in a booth and both drank Gwinnett lagers. There were others at the diner and the place seemed to have a joyous mood. The jukebox was playing "The Twist" by Hank Ballard.

"You hungry?" Killian asked.

"Sure am. Wandering the desert while fighting off a ruthless gang that wants to kill you makes anyone hungry."

When the order came, Dawn had a fried chicken steak and mashed potatoes. Kilian had a double burger and fries. They conversed and laughed.

"Ravenholm?" A surprised Killian asked, "You actually went through there?"

"And it was a nightmare," Dawn recalled.

"You're quite amazing to have survived."

"Well, I didn't do it alone. I had help from Alyx Vance. Without her, I'd have a headcrab gnawing at my brain."

"Makes me glad I never went through there. Now, I don't know if you heard, but they completely wiped that place off the face of the earth."

"It's really gone?"

"Yeah, everything. Every building, road, and whatever hellacious monsters that roamed that place, all gone. It's nothing but an empty field."

"Nice to hear."

Killian drank the rest of his beer and began consuming another one.

"How'd you like City 17?" He asked.

"City 17 was never a great place for me," she answered, "I was miserable the whole time."

"Why'd you come out here? Danger lurks at every turn, even in the Mojave."

"Got a job offer from James Hsu. Grunt work."

"James Hsu, I remember him, former colonel of the NCR. How's he doing these days?"

"After he retired, he moved to Arizona, found a haven for people who wanted to get away from city life and everything else. Enough about me, I want to hear about you."

"What would you like to know?"

"You were in the resistance in City 17, let's hear about that."

"I fought at the Overwatch Nexus and near the Citadel. Dodging striders and dropships. That's when I saw him, the man behind it all. His name was Wallace Breen. After Mercy McGowan met her demise, we went after him."

"I remember him, he was like an ambassador for the Combine."

"Yeah, he went into a dropship. We took it down with an RPG, went right into a strider which crashed on the Nexus. That was the end."

"When me and my friends heard that on the radio, we were cheering like crazy."

Killian finished his meal and drank another beer. In the background, the song "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day played on the jukebox. Dawn had consumed two more beers.

"I assume Damon told you," Killian reckoned, "Otherwise he never would have brought you here."

"He told me and I'm fine with it," she informed him, "He's just someone who needs help."

"I appreciate you helping him and accepting our resident's lifestyle. I'm gonna help Damon out as well."

Dawn and Killian began to feel buzzed from the multiple beers they drank.

"Geez, I haven't been to the Strip in years," Killian said, "Probably for the best. I'd just piss it all away."

"I hate gambling. No point in it. The way the world is no other place would be much better."

"Nearly 30 years after the invasion and we still haven't fully recovered. It will be a long process…"

"It's hopeless," Dawn presumed, "I've been out there, and people don't change. They just want to kill each other. Maybe Damon or this Institute he talks of, maybe they can create synths to be more civilized."

"Synths can replace humans."

Dawn looked at him puzzled.

"At least that's what the vicious rumors are," Killian continued, "They can replace a human without anyone noticing. In the Commonwealth, it's a real fear among the people."

"So, any synth can replace any human without no one noticing? Why would they do that?"

"I wish I knew. Look, I don't mean to worry you, it's just what I hear."

Dawn and Killian stared at each other and then smiled. After they left the diner, Killian rode his motorcycle with Dawn holding onto him as the guards trailed behind in a Corvega sedan. They drove past an ice cream parlor, a pizza restaurant, a gas station and car shop, an electronics store, an arcade, a bar, and a grocery store. Dawn caught a quick glimpse of the buildings and it was hard to determine if they were in operation or abandoned. The lights, signs, retro futuristic designs, and mix of old and modern styles intrigued Dawn. Killian drove the motorcycle towards a large house.

In a matter of minutes, Dawn and Killian were on his bed kissing each other. The passion drove Dawn into a feeling that she craved. She pulled open his buttoned shirt and he unbuckled her jeans. They kissed again and then Killian pulled her shirt off. He kissed her chest as she wrapped her legs around him. Dawn got on top and with each movement, she let out soft murmurs. She had wanted this for a long time. Then, she reached climax which gave Killian more passion as he moved faster while Dawn let out louder sounds.

The next morning, Dawn was still sleeping in Killian's bed. When she finally did wake, he was not there. She looked around for her clothes and after she got dressed, she saw a note on the side table. It was from Killian that said he was in his office. She went back to Damon's house and looked around for him. He too was nowhere to be found. Dawn decided to look around the house. She looked in the closet and saw more leather trench coats and casual clothing. There was also a white coat with a large black patch on it that also had the Institute logo. Next, she headed to his room. Inside was a large computer, a bed, and a long black leather coat that had ridged shoulders. There was also a pair of large black boots on the floor. Dawn walked outside to the back porch noticed a large black tripod. Underneath was a large black platform with a shiny surface. It was connected to a control console that had the Institute's logo on it. She also saw a relay dish nearby. Dawn had wondered why Damon had something like this.


	11. Danger Lurks at Every Turn

**DANGER LURKS AT EVERY TURN**

Dawn went back outside and decided to walk towards Killian's office. Then, at the far end of the street, she thought she saw a familiar face. She walked closer and realized who it was. Maddie had made her way into Junktown. She still had her messenger bag and red and black outfit on but was not wearing face paint. Her katanas were still strapped to her back and her hair was in a ponytail. She looked at Dawn with the biggest smile on her face.

"Well, you're easy to find," Maddie sarcastically greeted with a smirk.

They hugged.

"How did…why are you…?" Dawn tried to say.

"I broke out. I had to. You remember Selene, right? She sent her Legion after me."

"Selene?"

"Don't worry about her, she's dead now."

"Maddie, I'm so glad you're here. I missed you so much, but you need to be in there."

"No, it's okay. I'm better now," Maddie claimed.

"Says who?" Dawn snapped back.

"Says me."

Dawn laughed. They walked down the sidewalk.

"So, what brought you to Junktown?" Maddie wondered.

"Ah you know, got a whole gang of mercenaries wanting to kill me. Nothing new," Dawn sarcastically stated.

"I know about the Outcasts; I heard from someone back at Primm. I've been so worried about you. I saw the trail of bodies you left back there. Beautiful."

"I didn't do it alone. I met someone who's been helping me."

"About that. Who is he?" Maddie seemed envious of her newfound friend.

"Just a friend," Dawn answered, "Without him, I never would have made it. I want you to meet him."

"Fine. But you should know that the Outcasts are headed this way."

"Don't worry, this town is full of soldiers. Look, I'm going to Killian's office to discuss this."

Killian's office was located next to his store. The guards outside recognized Dawn and let her through along with Maddie. Killian sat at his desk. Dawn and Maddie sat across from him.

"The Outcasts will definitely be here soon," Killian stated.

"I assume the NCR will do nothing," Dawn noted.

"We're not on their territory which mean we don't pay the taxes, so it's safe to assume we are on our own."

"We can leave, myself, Maddie, Damon, we can lure them elsewhere. Like I said before, I don't want to bring this upon you."

"They're coming even if you did leave. We will fight back against them. The monster was created and the monster will be destroyed."

"We'll do it," Dawn said while taking a deep breath.

"They were the same assholes that took Primm hostage," Maddie added, "They want that Damon kid."

"And we will protect him," Killian confirmed.

"Speaking of him, we should go look for him," Dawn advised.

"All right but be prepared."

Dawn and Maddie were outside an abandoned car dealership. There were Corvegas, Pick-R-Ups, station wagons, and vans. Most of them were rusted and damaged. The window in the dealership had been smashed.

"Maddie," Dawn said, "There's something you should know about Damon."

Maddie turned to face her.

"This whole town is a synth refuge," she continued, "I know how you feel about synths."

"He's one of them?" Maddie assumed.

"Yes. He told me a few days ago."

Maddie remained silent.

"Do you trust him?" Maddie asked.

"Of course, he helped me and we must help him."

"He must be from the Institute."

"He's a gen 3, an advanced human replica. The Outcasts want to use him to get to the Institute. We can't allow that."

"If you trust him, I'll help you protect him. If he goes haywire, I'll kill him."

Later that evening, Dawn sat on the porch dressed in olive drab and silver combat armor. She had an assault rifle, her .45, a 9mm machine gun, and her knife, Slayer. Maddie was on the lawn practicing throwing knives into a dead tree. She wore her half red and half black outfit but no face paint. Maddie had told her what happened at the asylum. There was a sense of relief that Selene had perished, but there remained another threat. Then, Dawn heard a noise which sounded like lightning. She looked back into the house and saw a flash of blue light. A few seconds later, Damon walked out to the front porch.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

"I had something I needed to take care of," he answered.

"I've been looking all over for you. Should've told me."

Damon saw Maddie staring at him with a mean look.

"Is that…?" He started.

"Damon, meet Maddie," Dawn introduced them as she stood up, "And Maddie, this is Damon."

"Nice to meet you."

Maddie just stared at him.

"So, you've been helping Dawn?" Maddie asked with a sense of jealousy.

"That's right, and she's been helping me."

Maddie walked to the porch and extended her hand. Damon shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Maddie said with a half smile.

"I heard so many great things about you."

"Well, I'm glad we are acquainted," Dawn added.

"Hey Dawn, can I speak with you alone out back?" Damon requested.

"Yeah sure," she answered. "Maddie, I'll be right back."

Damon led her outside where the large device was.

"So where did you go?" Dawn asked.

"I went back to the Institute. But I didn't mean to leave you, so I want you to do me a favor, see this right here?"

"Yeah and what is it?"

"It's a teleporter. It's how to get into the Institute. I want you to step on that platform and I'll send you there."

Dawn was stunned by Damon's request.

"Why? I want to stay here," Dawn insisted.

"This isn't your fight. It's mine. I told them about you and they want you to join them."

"This is crazy."

"Please, Dawn, I don't want to endanger your life or Maddie's. There's a whole life in the Commonwealth for you."

"No, Damon. I want to help you. I'm not leaving you here."

Damon took a deep breath. He stared up at the sky and then looked at Dawn.

"Dawn, I haven't been completely honest about who I am. Who I really am and what I really do."

Dawn had a look of confusion.

"I knew it," she confirmed her suspicions and then asked, "What have you been hiding from me?"

"Now, I am a synth and I am from the Institute. You and me, we've traveled together and I consider you to be a true friend. If I tell you what I do-"

"Hey, you can tell me, you better tell me," Dawn told him with a slight chuckle.

"This is hard, but I'm actually-"

Before Damon could finish, a large cargo plane flew over them.

"Shit, they're here," Damon said.

"I'm staying here," Dawn reiterated.

She went back through the house. Damon stood still and then followed her. Out in the streets, the residents got their weapons ready and ran towards the entrance. Dawn saw that Maddie was not there. She decided to head towards the entrance. Killian and the rest of the residents were gathered near the front. Dawn looked around the crowd for Maddie. Then, Kalnor walked up to Killian and said something to him. Soon after, Rowan, Ivy, and a few other of the Outcasts walked through the gate. Dawn looked to her side and saw that Damon had disappeared. She moved closer to hear the conversation between Killian and Rowan.

"I know about this place, Killian," Rowan warned, "I know it's a sanctuary for synths and that somewhere amongst this paradise of junk he is here. Just hand him over and we'll leave."

"I'm not handing him over," Killian disputed, "I advise you to just turn around and leave the kid alone."

"You would risk the lives of everyone here to save one synth?"

"They're ready, willing, and able to fight. If they were truly afraid of the Outcasts, Damon would be right here in front of you."

"All right, you made your point."

Rowan signaled for his crew to walk out of Junktown. Killian looked back at the crowd.

"Take your positions, that ain't the last of them," he instructed.

Everyone ran for cover except for Dawn. Killian walked up to her.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Damon told you to leave, right?"

"Wait, that was your idea?"

"It was, but I should've known you would never back down."

"I'm fighting for you and this town. Synths or anybody else should have a place to escape from the dangers of the wasteland."

"Right, and you should get ready, I have a feeling these assholes will bust in here."

Killian took his position alongside Kalnor behind a barricade made of sandbags in front of an abandoned building. The residents scattered around, looking for cover. Dawn looked at the rooftops and saw no one. She figured it was too late to change the plan, so she climbed the ladder. Then, a loud explosion was heard near the entrance. The Outcasts ran in and climbed over the walls with grappling hooks. Ivy walked through the blown-out wall with a missile launcher. A full-scale war had broken loose. Dawn tried to find Killian down below, but smoke had covered the area. More of the Outcasts climbed the wall and she gunned them down. Then, Maddie, now wearing her face paint, appeared and stabbed a mercenary. She dragged him behind a building, leaving Dawn to imagine what torturous method she would use. Then, an explosion occurred near her. The blast nearly knocked her off the roof. Dawn decided to climb down. She shot any Outcasts she could find as she ran out into the street. The residents also returned fire. Then, Ivy aimed her missile launcher. As the missile came out, a bullet struck the missile. The blast blew Ivy against the wall. Damon was behind Dawn, holding a sniper rifle.

"Nice shot," she told him.

More residents ran down the street. Maddie joined them.

"Follow me," Damon instructed, "More of them are coming from the back and attacking the buildings."

"Let's move," Dawn replied.

They jogged towards the back of Junktown, passing stores, houses, and the arcade while listening to the echo of gunfire.

"Thanks for staying, Dawn," Damon said, "I knew you weren't leaving."

"I would never leave you behind. But you and me need to have a serious talk once this is over."

"It's hard to believe you're a synth," Maddie added, "The ones I met tried to kill me."

"Don't worry about me, I've been programed by the Institute to accomplish any tasks I've been assigned."

"What do you mean by that?" Dawn asked.

"I'll tell you when we have that serious talk."

"What if they program you differently?" Maddie inquired.

"Let's hope they don't," he answered.


	12. Defending the Sanctuary

**DEFENDING THE SANCTUARY**

The Outcasts and the residents were engaged in a firefight near a bar called the Skum Pitt. The bar was not built like any other building. It was composed of ridged metal that was used for the walls and the roof. The words "SKUM PITT" was spray painted white near the entrance and there was a red sign which read "BAR" and had an arrow pointing at the door. Dawn and Damon shot at the Outcasts. Maddie saw a sniper in a window of a brick building.

"Watch out for the sniper," Maddie informed.

Then, she quickly disappeared. Dawn saw the laser pointing at the residents. She fired a shot at the sniper to divert his attention. Dawn and Damon ran into an abandoned building behind them and leaned against the wall.

"I can take him out!" Damon tried to convince Dawn.

"Let Maddie handle it," she assured him.

Maddie was inside the empty building and saw the sniper. She took out her dagger and approached him. Then, she wrapped her arm around his throat and dragged him down. The sniper dropped the gun as Maddie placed the knife to his throat.

"That's it, fear me," she whispered, "Blood pouring out of your skin makes me ecstatic. I love the feeling of a sharp blade cutting into flesh."

Maddie slowly ran the knife across his throat as she was overcome with an orgasmic feeling. She giggled near his ear.

Dawn looked out of the smashed window and saw Maddie staring right at her.

"She got him," Dawn confirmed.

"Damn, she's good."

Dawn smiled. They ran out of the store and joined the residents while shooting down the Outcasts. Then, a bullet struck Dawn in the armor and she stumbled down. Damon saw her and tried to help her up.

"I'm okay!" She yelled, "Take them out!"

Damon ran over to the residents. As soon as Dawn got up, a mercenary tackled her down. Dawn tried to shove him off until Maddie came behind him and stabbed him in the chest. Dawn got up and grabbed her rifle. She looked around for Damon, but he vanished.

"Thanks Maddie, you haven't missed a beat," Dawn complimented.

"Let's go for a kill," Maddie replied as she removed her katanas.

She ran into the Skum Pitt and Dawn followed. Inside the bar was a brawl. The bar had tables that were turned over and broken glass on the floor. Dawn was low on ammo and strapped the assault rifle on her back. One of the Outcasts was stomping on a resident. Dawn grabbed a beer bottle and turned the Outcast around. She smashed the bottle across his face and quickly used the broken bottle to slice his throat. Another Outcast tried to punch her, but she grabbed his arm and kicked him in the stomach. He fell onto the table and she grabbed him by the hair. Then, she kneed him in the face, causing him to fly into the air and crash through the table. Maddie delivered a series of kicks to the Outcast members. They charged at her, but Maddie used her ninjutsu skills along with her katanas to finish them off. One Outcast swung a bat at her. She used her katana and stabbed him in the stomach. She smiled at him as he fell to the ground. An Outcast grabbed her arm, but she kneed him in the stomach, placed him in a front headlock, and snapped his neck. An Outcast, who was quite muscular and tall, swung a large makeshift sword at her. It was made from a large piece of metal that had a pipe for the hilt. Maddie dodged the attack and they engaged in a sword fight; each moving with swiftness along with the sound of knives clashing. The sword wielding Outcast attempted to hit her, but Maddie moved and he instead broke a table in half. Maddie stepped on the sword and place her katana to his throat and he froze. Maddie giggled as he trembled in fear. He tried to get a knife out, but Maddie used her boot knife to slice his throat.

Dawn was near the bar and dodged a swinging bat. The mercenary swung again and Dawn moved as the bat struck the counter and broke in half. She kicked him in the back of the head and while he was dazed, she tossed him over the counter. When he got up, she smashed a glass bottle over his head and punched him in the face, sending him against the display of alcoholic drinks. Then, another mercenary grabbed Dawn, lifted her up, and slammed her through a table. Dawn was in a daze as he took out a knife. Suddenly, he froze with his eyes wide open. Maddie had stabbed him in the upper shoulder. She turned him around and stabbed him multiple times. She helped Dawn up.

"You okay?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah," she replied, "You seen Damon?"

"I think he's outside."

"That's where I'm going."

Dawn walked out of the bar and Maddie followed. Junktown was suddenly quiet. There were no more gunshots ringing through the air. Dawn looked around and saw smoke.

"Let's head back to Killian," Dawn said.

Dawn and Maddie ran through the now empty streets. The buildings had bullet holes and shattered glass. There were bodies on the ground; some were residents, but most were Outcasts. The ghost town feeling gave Dawn chills and she expected someone to jump out of nowhere to attack. They ran towards Killian's house where he stood on the steps along with Kalnor. Killian pointed his gun at them but lowered it when he realized who it was. The bodies of the bodyguards were dead on the ground near the mansion.

"Dawn, Maddie," Killian greeted, "You missed all the action up here."

"You missed all the action back there," Dawn remarked.

"Still no sign of Rowan. How about Damon?"

"Haven't seen him in a while."

"I think we got them all. We should scour the area and make sure none of those assholes are still here. We also need to round up any survivors."

"All right, you ready?"

"Come on."

Killian led the way as Dawn, Maddie, and Kalnor followed.

"It got quiet fast," Dawn pointed out.

"Maybe it's the calm before the storm," Killian added, "Anyway thanks for sticking around."

There was now a blanket of darkness over Junktown. The streetlights provided a small amount of light. Then, Damon walked towards them, still holding onto his sniper rifle.

"I've been looking for you," Damon said.

"Same here, where've you been?" Dawn asked.

"Disposing a few of these assholes."

"We should head back to the Skum Pitt…"

"No need, the fine residents of Junktown took care of them."

"Good to hear, now we need to regroup and make sure they're all gone," Killian instructed.

Damon joined them as they walked through Junktown. Along the way, other residents joined in and gave Kilian the news that no more Outcasts remained. They stopped at an inoperative water fountain that was near a ruined park.

"They know they're supposed to meet here right?" Kalnor asked Killian.

"We should go look for them," Killian suggested, "Me and Kalnor will head that way and you three check over there. Round up anyone you see and bring them back here. The rest of you stay here."

Dawn, Maddie, and Damon jogged further down the street while Killian and Kalnor went in the opposite direction. The streetlights shined the way for them as they passed houses and a Super-Duper Mart. They ran into the parking lot that had four broken down cars spread out.

"Are they holed up in there? Maddie asked.

Before Dawn or Damon could answer, a red dot appeared on Dawn's chest. Damon saw it and threw her to the ground behind a broken-down car. He also dragged Maddie down as a bullet struck the ground near them.

"A damn sniper!" Damon yelled.

An Outcast was on top of the Super-Duper Mart with a .50 sniper rifle. He scoped the area was ready to fire. Damon took out a smoke grenade.

"I'll give us some cover," Damon urged, "But we gotta move fast!"

Damon threw down the smoke bomb. When the smoke cloud got big, they ran towards the store. The smoke provided enough cover for them to run towards the store entrance. At the entrance was an ice machine, a newspaper box, a Nuka Cola rocket ride, and there were four concrete posts used to hold up the entrance roof.

"We have to take out that damn sniper," Dawn told them, as if it were not obvious.

Maddie smiled at Dawn and ran to the side of the building.

"Where's she going?" Damon asked.

"Solving our problem," she answered.

On the side of the building, there was a trash bin and above, there was a broken ladder. Maddie jumped on the trash bin and jumped to the broken ladder. She climbed up to the roof and quietly walked along the surface. The sniper was positioned near the edge and was aiming the rifle around the parking lot. She looked around to make sure no one else was there and went behind the sniper. She stabbed him in the sides and threw him over the edge.

Dawn saw the sniper fall to the ground along with the rifle. Maddie saw ammo boxes and tossed them to the ground.

"It's a good thing she's on our side, am I right?" Dawn proudly stated.

Dawn and Damon grabbed ammo for their assault rifles. Damon picked up the sniper rifle and made sure it was loaded.

"You know how to use one of those?" Dawn asked.

"Armed conflict is essential to wasteland survival," Damon remembered her advice from earlier.

"We really need to have that talk," she reiterated.

Then, out in the parking lot, more of the Outcasts had showed up.

"Move!" Dawn yelled.

She grabbed Damon as they took cover behind the ice box. The Outcasts began firing shots at them. The bullets struck the icebox, pavement, and the bulletproof glass. Damon, still behind the icebox, aimed the sniper rifle. As soon as the red laser sight locked onto an Outcast, he fired, taking them down. The Outcasts scrambled and return fire, desperately trying to avoid the laser sight. Dawn fired at them and strikes the Outcasts. Then, from the roof, a grenade was thrown into the parking lot. It exploded, sending the Outcasts into the air. Maddie had found a stash of frag grenades and threw them towards the oncoming Outcasts. Some were able to move, while others were caught in the explosion. More Outcasts ran towards them, but Dawn and Damon gunned them down. The bullets from the Outcasts struck the icebox. Then, the gunfire stopped. Dawn peeked around and saw Ivy with a minigun. Ivy smiled as she fired the minigun at them. The bullets struck the area around them with more force and even smashed the windows on the store.

"We have to get inside," Dawn shouted over the gun fire.

They ran through an opening and entered the store. This inside was dark, and the only source of light was from the moonlight and the streetlamps. They ran down an aisle with snacks and chips.

"What about Maddie?" Damon asked.

"Oh shit, she's still on the roof…"

Then, more gunfire came through. Three Outcasts ran into the store, shouting and taunting them. Dawn signaled for Damon to follow her to the back of the store. They were at the frozen food section and listened to the Outcasts laughing and whistling. Dawn heard them coming near and hid at the end of the aisle. When an Outcast got near, Dawn grabbed his throat and spun him around. She held his head tight and snapped his neck. Then, Damon tossed a box of instamash on the ground. They hid in an aisle and then, an Outcast looked around for them. Dawn took out Slayer and snuck behind him. She grabbed his mouth and stuck the knife into his stomach. Damon listen for the footsteps of the other Outcast. Damon signaled for Dawn to hold. She nodded. He took out his knife and ran into the dark aisle. Dawn was a little worried as she listened. Damon hid in the dark as he got near the Outcast. Then, he made his move. He got him in a headlock and stabbed him multiple times in the stomach and chest. He walked back towards Dawn.

"That bitch with the minigun is still out there," Dawn reminded him.

"I don't know how she survived, but it's time we put her down for good," he felt annoyed .

Dawn checked her ammo and saw that it was empty.

"I'm out too," Damon admitted.

They remained in the back aisle. Ivy entered and walked across the broken glass. She looked around and fired the minigun. The bullets destroyed the items on the shelves. Dawn and Damon hit the floor as the bullets struck the glass on the freezer doors. They crawled until they reached a set of double doors. As soon as they walked in, the lights to the stockroom turned on, illuminating the area. There were rows of merchandise that were stored in boxes. They ran towards the back and hid down an aisle. Ivy stormed in and began firing the minigun. The bullets struck the items surrounding Dawn causing her to fall. Damon decided to climb the shelves and Dawn followed. As Dawn was climbing, a shelf broke and Dawn to fell to the ground. Ivy heard the noise and fired the minigun in Dawn's direction. As the bullets flew over her, she took out Slayer and saw Ivy through the small openings. Damon was still hanging on to the shelf. When Ivy stopped firing, Dawn quickly stood up and dove out of the aisle. While flying through the air, she threw Slayer at her and it lodged into her throat. Dawn landed in another aisle and through the opening in the shelves, she saw Ivy pull the knife out of her throat. There was no blood. Ivy threw the knife down and right away Dawn knew she was not human. She slipped under an empty shelf as Ivy was walking down the aisle. Suddenly, Damon surprised Ivy and tackled her to the ground. He punched her in the face until her synthetic flesh began to tear. Damon ripped off part of the synthetic flesh, revealing part of a metal faceplate underneath. Then, Ivy grabbed his coat and threw him over. She quickly stood up and tried to grab the minigun, but suddenly, Maddie ran down the aisle and kicked Ivy back down. She tried to kick her, but Ivy blocked it. Ivy rolled out of the way and entered the receiving area. There was a metal conveyor roller, stacks of boxes, an office, and three sets of overhead doors. Maddie followed her and displayed an evil grin.

"Now where were we?" Maddie taunted.

Ivy charged towards her with a flurry of strikes. Each shot was blocked Maddie. Then, Maddie threw a series of strikes, but Ivy avoided them. Maddie giggled as Ivy took out a knife.

"That's how you wanna play," Maddie whispered, attempting to make Ivy nervous.

She took out her knife and they squared off. Ivy swung the knife at her, but Maddie stepped back and laughed. She tried to stab her, but Maddie grabbed her arm and kicked her on the side of the head. Ivy backed away.

"The worst part about you is that you can't bleed," Maddie intimidated her, "But you will fear me."

"I fear no one," Ivy boldly remarked.

Maddie swung the knife at her and Ivy blocked it with her knife. They engaged in a knife battle. The sharp steel collided as the sound echoed. Maddie tried to kick her with her boot knife, but Ivy back flipped to avoid it. After a series of kicks, Maddie finally stabbed Ivy with her boot knife in her arm. Ivy had no reaction; instead, she grabbed Maddie's leg and swung her into the steel door.

Dawn and Damon heard commotion in the front of the store. Damon picked up the minigun. They headed back towards the front where more of the Outcast were. Damon fired the minigun, striking down any mercenary that stood in his way. Dawn was not surprised by his ability to handle that type of weapon. It was right then she suspected he was something more than just a regular synth. The minigun ran out of ammo and more of the Outcasts were out in the parking lot. Before they could advance, Killian, Kalnor, and the rest of the residents came to their aid. They shot down the Outcasts as Dawn and Damon looked on.

Back in the receiving area, Ivy struck Maddie in the stomach and then hit her with an elbow to the face. Maddie fell onto the concrete floor. Ivy placed her boot on her throat. She was confused when Maddie laughed while gagging for air. Then, she took out another knife and stabbed Ivy in the leg. She left the knife in and grabbed Ivy by the leg. She twisted it off her and quickly sprung up. Ivy tried to lunge forward with a kick, but Maddie moved to the side and used her boot knife to slice Ivy from her stomach to her chest. A small amount of sparks flew out. Maddie hit her with a side kick and then kicked her across the face. Then, she quickly hit her again with a spin kick. Ivy went down to one knee. Maddie tried to stab her, but Ivy grabbed her arm and then grabbed her throat. Maddie tried to kick her off, but Ivy held on. Sparks continued to emit from her. Maddie grabbed her arm and pulled her into the glass window of the receiving office. The glass shattered as Maddie fell to the ground. When Ivy turned around, her synthetic flesh around her face was cut, revealing more of the metal underneath. Maddie got her knife and slashed Ivy's throat. Ivy fell to her knees and then face first to the ground. Her body laid motionless as sparks emitted. Maddie left the receiving area.

Maddie saw Dawn and Damon in the parking lot and joined them.

"Maddie, you okay?" Dawn asked.

"I'm fine, but that bitch is finished."

Killian and Kalnor walked up to them.

"We still haven't seen Rowan," Killian informed.

"My guess is he's bringing reinforcements," Kalnor assumed, "He ain't gonna quit until we are all dead."

"Then, we'll just finish him off," Dawn expressed her anger.

"Sounds good to me," Killian approved, "Let's head back up front. I think we rounded up everyone."


	13. The Most Elite and Dangerous

**THE MOST ELITE AND DANGEROUS**

Back at the entrance, the residents were gathered. Killian and Kalnor were making sure their guns were ready. Dawn and Maddie sat on a bench at the gas station. Then, Damon walked up to them.

"You still wanna have that talk?" He asked Dawn.

"Let's talk," Dawn answered with enthusiasm.

Dawn stood up and walked away with Damon. Maddie watched them for a bit. Damon led Dawn into an alley between two brick buildings. He leaned against the wall and Dawn stood next to him.

"Dawn, I just want to say that you've been a good friend to me," Damon appreciated and then confessed, "And I haven't been entirely truthful with you."

"Well, let's hear it. The truth that is. I know what you are, but who exactly are you?" Dawn anticipated his answer.

"You know I'm part of the Institute and that I'm a synth. What you don't know is that I was sent by them to recruit you and Maddie."

"Recruit me?"

"The Director has known about you for quite some time. He wants to speak with you. He wants you to join us."

Dawn had a loss for words.

"Dawn, listen to me and don't be mad," he continued, "You remember when we were in that alley and I held a gun to you?"

"That fake gun…"

"It was part of the plan. We had to test you to make sure you were cut out for this type of work."

"What type of work?"

"I am a courser. We are the most elite and dangerous members of the Institute. They want you to be part of our organization."

Dawn brushed her hair back, still trying to comprehend what he was telling her.

"You have proven yourself to be valuable to the Institute," he progressed his proposal, "I want to remain friends with you. I like being around you. Since I was created twenty years ago, I have never met a human who cared about me as much as you."

"Damon, I really don't know what to say," she uttered, "This is a lot to think about."

"You believe me, right? I know I had to deceive you, but I couldn't just say 'Hey Dawn, you wanna join the Institute?' Please come with me and you'll see what the Institute is."

"But I'm not a synth. Is everyone there a synth?"

"We have humans who work alongside us. In fact, the Institute was created by humans."

"And how would we get there? You said it was in the Commonwealth. That has to be three thousand miles from here."

"The Institute has advanced technology. They have created teleportation. That's how I arrived here and that's how we'll get back."

Dawn laughed and then looked at Damon who had a serious look on his face.

"You're for real," she came to realize.

"I wouldn't lie to you," he stated.

Suddenly, a loud crash was heard near the entrance. Dawn and Damon ran out of the alley and followed the sound of gunfire. They saw a large black armored vehicle with a gun attached to the top. Rowan was in the driver's seat. Dawn shot at the vehicle, distracting it from firing on the residents. The vehicle began firing at Dawn and Damon. They ran down a narrow alley between two buildings. They reached the other side, but Rowan drove by. They ran into an ice cream shop as he fired shots at them. The bullets shattered the glass and destroyed the tables. Dawn and Damon hid behind the counter as the bullets ripped through the building. Dawn returned fire, but the bullets had no effect on the vehicle. Damon saw the back entrance and grabbed Dawn's arm. Together, they ran out of the shop and into the back alley. There was a small building in front of them with small holes in the brick wall.

"Up there," Damon instructed.

No ladder was present, so Dawn began climbing up using the broken parts in the wall. She grabbed onto the ledge and pulled herself up to the roof and Damon followed. Dawn laid down on the roof, trying to recover. Damon kneeled beside her.

"You okay?" Damon asked.

"Maddie and the rest of them are still out there," Dawn worried, "We need to help them."

"That damn thing is still on our ass. You have any frags?"

"I'm out. Maybe one of the Outcasts has some."

"I guess we're corpse looting then."

Dawn sat up. They heard the vehicle drive by below them and went near the edge to see the vehicle. On the opposite side of the road, there were dead bodies. They climbed down and ran towards them. Dawn and Damon searched through the bodies but found no explosives. Dawn did find a few smoke grenades. Suddenly, the vehicle crashed through a building. They remained still as the large mounted gun was pointed directly at them. Rowan smirked.

"Damon, it's you I want," Rowan said over a speaker, "Surrender and no one has to get killed."

Damon realized he had inadvertently shielded Dawn.

"I'm not surrendering," Damon objected.

Rowan tried to aim the gun at Dawn, but Damon stood in front of her. Dawn pulled the pin on the smoke grenade and dropped it. The smoke quickly spread around them as Dawn grabbed Damon and ran towards a liquor store. Dawn opened the door and they ran to the back. The store was small and there were only a few shelves of liquor. Dawn grabbed a bottle of bourbon and took a few sips. On the outside, Rowan saw the trail of smoke where Dawn had dropped the grenade. He shot at the liquor store. Inside, Dawn and Damon dropped to the floor and the bullets flew over them, smashing the bottles. When the bullets stopped, they got up and ran out the back into the alleyway, stepping on the broken glass and spilled liquor. There was a large dumpster, a small shipping truck, and a fence with a locked gate.

"I really like that store," Dawn muttered.

"Everyone around here does."

Dawn looked both ways.

"Which way to the entrance?" Dawn asked.

Damon pointed and they ran away from the fence. Then, Rowan appeared in the road behind the fence. They ran as fast as they could down the alleyway as the vehicle drove towards them. The vehicle crashed through the fence and Dawn tossed a smoke grenade behind her. Rowan's vision was clouded and he crashed the vehicle into a wall. Dawn and Damon rounded the corner as the vehicle followed. Damon ran behind Dawn, preventing Rowan from firing. Dawn threw another smoke grenade down. Rowan crashed into a dumpster and spun to the side. He struggled to get the vehicle straight. Damon saw a way up a small building.

"Up there!" He yelled.

Dawn climbed the ladder as Damon followed. Rowan finally got the vehicle straight but could not get a clear shot at Dawn as she reached the rooftop. Rowan rammed the vehicle into the ladder causing it to shake. Damon nearly fell off and the ladder twirled to the side. Rowan backed up and rammed the ladder again. Dawn tried to grab him, but the rusted ladder bent away from the building. He held on as he dangled over the alley. Dawn shot at the bullet proof window of the vehicle. Rowan returned fire, causing Dawn to duck behind the ledge. Then, she grabbed the ladder and pulled Damon closer. She pulled him onto the roof as the ladder fell into the alley. Damon landed on top of her and Dawn was breathing heavily. They stared at each other, locking onto each other's eyes. Damon realized how close his face was to hers and got off her.

"Thanks," he felt relieved.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked.

Damon looked at her with confusion.

"Do what?"

"Stand in front of me, ready to take a hail of bullets."

"I owed you one. But I'm still in your debt. That's why the offer from the Institute still stands."

"I haven't had much time to think about it under a hail of bullets and that damn thing chasing us."

They both stood up.

"Let's head back," Dawn said.

They leaped across the rooftops of the small buildings and saw the entrance. There was no sign of anyone else or Rowan. Down below, the streets and buildings had bullet holes. Dawn looked around and began to worry about Maddie.

"Maddie!" She yelled out.

Her voiced echoed. Then, Rowan appeared. A laser sight appeared on Dawn's chest. Quickly Damon stepped in front of her.

"Damon!" Rowan violently expressed, "Surrender now! I'll kill everyone in the damn town."

"I know you won't, you're too desperate. If you kill everyone, you can forget about the Institute."

"You…son of a bitch!"

Dawn reacted with disbelief. She thought he implied that he would end his own life to protect the Institute and the residents of Junktown.

"Damon, no," Dawn whispered.

"It's okay."

Rowan smirked. Then, Killian, Kalnor, and Maddie appeared by a large building. The surviving residents also appeared.

"The hell with it!" Rowan yelled.

Rowan drove forward. Dawn and Damon quickly moved to the side. He drove out of the smashed wall he came through. Dawn rushed over to Maddie and they hugged.

"I was worried about you," Dawn told her.

"You should stop worrying so much," Maddie said.

"I'm glad to see everyone is okay."

Killian approached them.

"Dawn, thanks for fighting with us," he complimented.

"I couldn't have done it without you or them."

Then, Dawn wondered why Rowan had given up so easily. She stared at the smashed entrance. Then, a plasma grenade fell in front of them. Dawn shoved Killian back and everyone else scrambled away. The grenade exploded, sending Dawn into the air. Her combat armor broke apart when she landed on the ground. She was in a daze as the dust and smoke flew around her. A few seconds later, someone had a shotgun pointed at her. The Outcast reinforcements had arrived. Rowan stood over Dawn. Killian and the residents were ready to fire.

"It's a damn shame I gotta kill you," he said in a sinister tone.

Damon stood up and saw Rowan and two other Outcasts.

"Rowan!" he yelled.

Rowan looked up at him. The other Outcasts surrounded him.

"I tell you everything," Damon pleaded, "Just don't kill her."

"No Damon, just go!" Dawn demanded.

Rowan pulled his gun away and walked towards Damon.

"Looks like I win," Rowan gloated.

"Kill anyone here and you lose," Damon scolded.

Rowan smirked and then patted the side of Damon's face.

"Synthetic flesh…mechanical components…amazing…take him to the plane," Rowan ordered the Outcasts.

They held Damon by the arm and walked towards the entrance.

"Damon!" Dawn shouted as she stood up, "Don't…!

Rowan and the Outcasts took Damon outside as Dawn ran towards the entrance. Killian stopped her.

"Dawn, please, they won't hesitate to kill you," he warned.

"We can't let them take him!"

"If I know Damon, he'll never give them any information about the Institute."

"What do you mean?"

"Synths have an emergency protocol-"

"That better not mean what I think it means."

"Rowan and the Outcasts will perish. Trust me, he has to do what he has to do."

Dawn broke free from Killian.

"No, he can't," she sobbed.

"It's to protect you, Dawn," Kalnor added, "He cares for you and doesn't want any harm to come to you."

"He told me about the debt he owed you," Killian explained to her.

"He can't do this, I won't let him," Dawn continued, "I can't let him die, I care about him…"

Maddie stood next to her and placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"I'm with you Dawn," she comforted her, "I can't let him end it like this."

"We have to go; It's my fault he got into this. I should've stepped in that teleporter and got the hell out of here," Dawn regretted.

Dawn tried to hold back tears. Killian took a deep breath.

"I know better than to try and stop you," Killian told her.

He looked over at the motorcycles and then looked back at her.

"Make sure he's safe," he advised.


	14. Turbulance

**TURBULANCE**

Dawn and Maddie made it outside on their motorcycles. The chill of the desert air blew into them, but Dawn and Maddie ignored it. They saw the tire tracks of the vehicles left by the Outcasts and followed them across the desert as they rode side by side. Then, they saw the large military plane ahead. The cargo bay was down and the lights were on. The plane was about to take off. Dawn saw that the plane was used to store large supply boxes and the armored vehicle. They drove into the cargo plane just as the door began to close. Dawn and Maddie sat down against the wall as the plane took off. The inside was rather large and it looked like they were encased by the steel structure. There did not appear to be anyone else inside. The plane increased altitude and Dawn decided to look around. She kept her balance by holding on the armored vehicle. As she made her way toward the front, she saw the bullet impact on the window. She moved alongside the large boxes with netting and parachutes attached to them. Maddie moved to the opposite side, walking along the wall. They checked the area for armed mercenaries. Dawn took out Slayer, the knife she used to get herself and Damon into this mess. Then, they heard mercenaries heading their way. Dawn motion for Maddie to be quiet as the mercenaries came closer. They hid behind the large cargo. When they approached, Dawn and Maddie disarmed them and took them down. Dawn stabbed one and Maddie stabbed the other.

"I say we kill whoever's flying the plane and take control," Maddie was hoping.

"I don't know. If we take control, well who knows how many guys they have. Stay here, I'll see if I can find anything."

Dawn walked towards the front of the plane while Maddie waited near the cargo. She looked to the side and saw the switch to open the bay. In front of her was an arm of an android peering out from under a cover. She removed it and saw body parts from synths. There were robotic arms, legs, torsos, and cracked heads laying inside wooden containers. Right beside it was a container with electronic parts and wires.

Dawn snuck closer to the front and saw that a door was slightly open. She peaked inside and saw two mercenaries sitting down and one piloting the plane.

"Those guys should be back by now," one of them worried.

"Let's see what's keeping them."

Dawn ran back towards Maddie.

"Get ready, they're coming," Dawn alerted her.

The two mercenaries entered the cargo area with their assault rifles ready and quickly moved towards the back. One of them saw blood on the ground. Dawn got her .45 and Maddie had her knives out. The two mercenaries saw the dead bodies. One of them took out a two-way radio.

"Rowan, we have an intruder," he notified.

"Damn it! She's onboard," he fumed over the radio, "Kill that bitch! We can't let her get to Damon."

"Copy that."

Dawn and Maddie backed up against the wall. Then, Dawn accidentally bumped into a gas cylinder which fell over and rolled towards the armored vehicle. This got the attention of the two mercenaries. They shot where Dawn and Maddie were. Dawn fired back from behind cover, but they took cover in front the armored vehicle. The gas cylinder rolled back towards her and one of the mercenaries aimed his gun at it. Dawn slid out and kicked the cylinder to the other side of the plane. The mercenaries fired at her, but Dawn quickly dived behind the back of the armored vehicle. Maddie threw a knife at one of the mercenaries, striking him in the arm. The cylinder rolled towards the front of the plane. The mercenary ran towards the back, but Dawn fired shots at him. A bullet struck the mercenary in the armor causing him to fall behind a large cargo.

Maddie searched for the other mercenary who hid in front of the armored vehicle. He pulled the knife out of his bleeding arm. Then, Maddie found him and kicked him in the face. He tried to point the gun at her, but she grabbed it and kicked him in the leg. She struck him with an open palm strike, knocking him down. He tried to get up, but she kneed him in the face.

Dawn kept her gun pointed where the mercenary was. Then, he shoved a box into her. Her gun flew out of her hand as the box struck her. He fired shots at her, but Dawn ducked behind the box. She quickly pushed the box forward, knocking the mercenary down. He tried to grab the gun, but Dawn dove on top of him and struck him with an elbow. She struck him with a series of punches, but he threw her over. They simultaneously grabbed the gun and struggled to maintain possession.

Maddie taunted the other mercenary with her knife and he tried to crawl away. She giggled, striking fear into him. Then, a gunshot was heard along with an explosion. Maddie saw that the front was blown out and flames had engulfed the cockpit.

The explosion knocked Dawn and the mercenary to the back of the plane. Dawn slowly got up and saw the mercenary near the switch for the cargo door. He released it and the door opened, revealing the dawn of the morning sun.

The other mercenary grabbed Maddie and threw her down. He took out a knife and tried to stab her, but Maddie moved and cut his arm. He fell to the ground and onto the ramp.

Dawn saw the gun near the mercenary and she ran at him. She tackled him onto the ramp before he could pick up the gun. The smoke from the front was surrounding the plane. They were high in the air and it was only a matter of time before they crashed in the desert.

Maddie walked towards the other mercenary who grabbed a pipe wrench. He ran at her and tried to strike her. She kicked the wrench out of his hand and then kicked him in the face. She tried to kick him again, but he grabbed her leg and threw her down. Maddie rolled on the ramp and was near Dawn.

Dawn and the mercenary exchanged strikes. The mercenary got the upper hand and knocked Dawn near the edge. The pipe wrench slid near her and she grabbed it. When the mercenary got near, she struck him in the jaw and threw him down. He slid near the edge, almost falling off.

The mercenary tried to punch Maddie, but she moved while giggling. She threw a quick jab at his face and laughed. He tried to kick her, but Maddie moved and slapped him. He tried another kick, but she blocked it and slapped him again. He tried a backhand strike, but she moved back and kicked him on the side of the head. Then, she slammed him into the wall causing him to stumble down the ramp. Dawn saw Maddie.

"Hey, up here," Dawn called out.

Maddie followed her to the armored vehicle. Dawn saw the cord for the parachute and tried to pull it. She was not sure if it was stuck or if she was too exhausted. Maddie grabbed the cord and they pulled it as hard as they could. The parachute opened and the armored vehicle began moving off the plane. The vehicle struck the mercenary with the cut arm, sending him off the plane and towards the ground. As the armored vehicle left the plane, Dawn and Maddie realized it was attached by a steel cable to the other cargo. They dodged the boxes as it came towards them. The plane began to move around, knocking them down and sending them flying outside. Dawn and Maddie grabbed the netting on one of the boxes as they sailed in the air. Then, the mercenary, who held onto the netting of the armored vehicle, had the gun with him and began shooting at them. Dawn and Maddie moved to the other side as the mercenary continued to fire at them. There was a latch that connected the rope from the armored vehicle to the cargo they were on. Dawn unhooked the latch and the armored vehicle floated away along with the mercenary. Dawn and Maddie climbed up towards the bay. Then, the front of the cargo plane exploded. The blast sent Dawn and Maddie flying into the air along with the cargo.

Maddie was able to hold onto a box with netting and a parachute attached. Dawn flew through the air as she saw the plane go down in smoke and the cargo flying around her. As she rapidly descended towards the Mojave Desert, she saw Maddie. With her only chance, she grabbed the netting and held on. With a surge of adrenaline, they yanked the cord and the parachute deployed. They descended safely to the desert sand. Dawn caught her breath as Maddie laughed.

"Weeeee! Well that was fun!" She joked, "Wanna go again?"

Dawn chuckled.

"Same old Maddie," Dawn replied while breathing heavily.

Maddie saw the wrecked plane ahead.

"There it is. Let's see if we can find where they took Damon."

"Give me a minute," Dawn told her.

Maddie tilted her head and frowned as Dawn leaned against the cargo.

"We should have interrogated one of them," Dawn realized, "You specialize in that category."

"Well, I was about to, until someone blew the plane up."

"Let's just search that wreckage."

When they got to the wreckage, there were cargo and parts of the plane scattered around. Smoke came out of the engine, and some parts were still on fire. Dawn saw a two-way radio in the sand and picked it up.

"Breaker, breaker," she said into the radio.

"Dawn?" an irritated Rowan snapped, "You just don't know when to curl up and die."

"Where's Damon?"

"I'm taking him under my wing now. After what I'm about to offer him, he'll be on our side. The technology in the Institute will belong to the Outcasts."

"You're insane if you think that will happen."

"Yeah…insane. Add rich and powerful to that."

"Where the hell is he?"

"Dawn, as much as I would love to see that gorgeous face of yours, I got something better to deal with. This doesn't involve you. Stay out while you can still breath."

Dawn clipped the radio on her side and looked around the desert. They marched forward as the sun rose, hoping to find the Outcasts but more importantly, Damon. As they trekked under the morning sky, Dawn realized she had lost her .45 handgun and only had Slayer. Maddie's face paint began to wear leaving patches of skin. The dark makeup around her eyes was still in perfect condition and still had her knives and katanas with her. If they did run into the Outcasts, they would be dead in a heartbeat. There was nowhere to hide. Dawn thought about the offer Damon made to her but still had not reached a decision; right now, it was a matter of survival. She had to rescue him. He risked his own life for her and she had to make sure Rowan would never get the information he needed. Then, she heard static over the radio.

"Dawn? Dawn are you there?"

She recognized the voice as Damon.

"Damon!" She shouted in excitement, "Where are you?"

"Some old railroad factory, must be their safehouse. I'm in an office room somewhere inside. I managed to steal a radio. Where are you?"

"Walking across the desert. We caught the plane before it crashed."

"There should be a railroad track nearby. Follow it and it will take you straight to the factory."

"Yeah, I'm following the tracks."

"Good, I gotta go before someone hears me."

Dawn and Maddie followed the tracks; some of which was buried underneath the sand. They kept walking until they saw a factory ahead. There was a broken down train in front. They walked across a fence that had been torn down and had barbed wire at the top. It was still attached to the part of the fence that was torn down.

"Keep low," Dawn told Maddie as they approached the railroad factory, "No telling how many are around here."

They hid behind a rusted boxcar that had orange paint chipping off. Dawn moved closer to the door which was slightly open. She pulled the door and opened it just enough to look inside. There were metal crates inside, but otherwise empty. Dawn crawled inside and Maddie followed. The sliding door on the other side was halfway open. Dawn peaked outside and did not see anyone. The morning sun was still sitting low and provided enough light to see across the yard. More rail cars were scattered across the broken tracks and some rail cars had been tipped over. The building looked abandoned and there were different sections that connected. Dawn and Maddie stepped outside and quickly ran behind a rail car that was on its side. The place was quiet. They got a view from inside the factory. More rail cars were inside and there were overhead cranes, metal sheets, and forklifts. Then, Maddie saw the vehicles parked near one of the big doors. They knew they were in the right place and continued towards the building. Dawn picked up a tire iron before leaning against the wall by the door. Maddie was on the opposite side. Dawn peeked through the opening and ran inside with Maddie close behind her. They hid behind a boxcar. Maddie saw a member of the Outcasts. He appeared to be unarmed and was walking alongside the rail cars. Maddie nodded at Dawn and she quietly approached him. She grabbed him by the throat and suffocated him. Dawn followed behind and they quietly made their way through the factory. There were tools, scrap metal, welding equipment, and gas cylinders scattered around. They walked into a big open space that had nothing but support beams and rail tracks ahead. The walls around had small holes and the morning sun began to poke through. Dawn spotted two more Outcasts and they quickly hid behind a large machine. One of the Outcasts heard something and they moved towards Dawn and Maddie.

"We should interrogate one of them, find out where Damon is," Dawn whispered.

Maddie smiled and Dawn smiled back. Dawn saw the shadow of the Outcasts and waited for him to approach. She also noticed Maddie had vanished. As soon as the Outcast approached, Dawn quickly struck him with the face with tire iron, knocking him unconscious. This got the attention of the other Outcast, but Maddie suddenly appeared, put a knife to his throat, and took him to the ground. She held his hair and had a wicked smile on her face. The Outcast was nervous as he stared into her eyes.

"How'd you like your throat slashed?" She calmly spoke, "An ear to ear smile?"

Dawn stood in front of them.

"Where's Damon?" Maddie pressed, "I'd rather you not tell me. I'm really looking forward to cutting you. I won't be able to contain my urge to kill much longer."

"That bald kid," he whimpered, "The office building, on the other end."

"What about Rowan?" Dawn asked.

"Go through the decking area, he's out by one of the trains."

"Thanks."

Maddie struck him with an elbow, knocking him unconscious.

"Maddie, I need you to do something for me," Dawn requested, "I want you to go find Damon."

"And what will you do?"

"I'm gonna go find Rowan. I have a score to settle with that son of a bitch. Any Outcasts that gets in my way, I'll take them down."

"You'll be outnumbered if-"

"Don't worry about me. Their numbers have dwindled. Only a few are left."

"All right, I'll go look for him. But be careful."

"I will, and please, both of you, come back alive."

Maddie went towards the office and Dawn walked through the factory. She made her way around the rail cars until she got to the decking area. There was angle iron, steel bars, and welding equipment around the area. She searched the dusty area but there was no sign of anyone. As the morning light poked through the holes of the walls, she held her tire iron tight and was ready to strike. Then, she heard someone talking near a rail car. It sounded like it was Rowan. When she approached, she saw him talking to two of the Outcasts. Dawn wanted to attack, but they were armed with shotguns. Rowan left and walked outside. Dawn crawled inside the boxcar and peeked through the small opening on the other sliding door. Only one Outcast was there and was sitting in a chair next to a radio. The song "Blue Moon" by Frank Sinatra was playing. Dawn lightly tapped the metal wall which got the attention of the Outcast. He got up and walked towards the car. As soon as he opened the door, Dawn surprised him and struck him in the face with the tire iron. While he was dazed, she pulled him inside, placed him in a front headlock, and snapped his neck. She exited and got the shotgun.


	15. Darkest Just Before the Day Dawneth

**DARKEST JUST BEFORE THE DAY DAWNETH**

Maddie had found the office which had large pane windows; some had cracks and holes. She walked by each office until she saw Damon who was inside standing up. Maddie entered and saw two dead Outcasts on the floor.

"There you are!" Maddie greeted.

"I suppose you're my hero coming to rescue me," he remarked.

Maddie giggled.

"So, you really are a courser," she came to realize.

"The most dangerous synths the Institute has to offer. Where's Dawn?"

"Settling a grudge with Rowan."

"Damn, I hope she knows what she's doing."

Maddie and Damon left the office. They ran through the dusty floor of the factory, passing steel beams, unfinished rail cars, and a large flame cutting machine. Then, they saw six Outcasts ahead. Maddie and Damon stopped and ducked behind a flat car. Maddie saw them walk back towards the office. One of them had a radio.

"…and make sure he's still in there…" Rowan's voice instructed.

"Copy that," the mercenary said.

Maddie and Damon knew they had to stop them. She waited for the last one to run by, silently took him down, and choked him out. Maddie looked at his 1911 pistol and then nodded at Damon. He picked it up and took his ammo clips. Maddie went out into the open and laughed. This got their attention and they saw Maddie. She smiled and waved at them and then did a cartwheel behind the flat car. She ducked down as the Outcasts ran after her. When they got closer, Maddie surprised them and threw a knife at one of them, striking him in the head. They shot at her and she quickly ducked behind the flat car. Maddie giggled. They looked around for her, but it seemed she had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Damon appeared behind them near the flat car.

"Hey assholes," he shouted.

As soon as they turned around, Damon shot them. Each bullet he fired struck an Outcast. They returned fire, but Damon dove behind the flat car. Maddie snuck behind the remaining two and used her katanas to stab them. One of them tried to get up, but Maddie stabbed him in the chest. Damon took a desert eagle and ammo from one of them.

"How come you don't use a gun?" Damon asked Maddie.

"Knives are more pleasurable," she answered.

She smiled at him and they headed through the factory. Damon had a half smile and then followed her.

Dawn walked around the boxcars with her shotgun ready. Most of the doors were closed, which eliminated the chance of someone surprising her from inside. She heard an Outcast ahead. When she leaned against the box car, something inside fell, creating a loud bang. The Outcast ran around to where Dawn was, but she shot him down. The loud noise stirred up the attention of more Outcasts. She couldn't tell how many were heading her way. She felt she was surrounded and decided to open one of the boxcar doors and enter.

"Where's the little bitch?" One of them shouted.

"Right here!" Dawn surprised him.

She shot him back into another boxcar and jumped out. As more came running, she slid underneath a flat car. When one got close, Dawn dragged him underneath. She smashed his head onto the track, incapacitating him. She slid back out and looked around for more mercenaries. There was an auto rack ahead that had an opening on the front and back. Then, one of the Outcasts spotted her and began firing. She quickly ran inside the auto rack and ran towards the other end. Suddenly, another Outcast member appeared in front of her. Dawn stopped as he pointed his gun at her. His eyes were full of lust as he stared at her thighs and then at her chest. There was a small scrap piece of angle iron near her. She kicked it at him and the metal struck his face. He fired a shot, but the bullet struck the decking above as Dawn fell. As soon as she fell, she shot him. She jumped out of the auto rack and tried to catch her breath. The other Outcast ran towards her.

"Oh, damn it!" She muttered.

As soon as he reached the end, Dawn kicked him in the face. He hit the ground hard and tried to get up. She kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. She took his 9mm pistol and saw the outside area. She checked her shotgun ammo and saw there was only one shell left. Then, a red dot appeared on her chest. She looked up and saw a sniper on top of the boxcar. She quickly jumped inside another boxcar as the bullet struck the metal wall. She looked outside and saw that there was no clear shot. She ran out of the boxcar and looked around for the sniper. It would have been easy for her to find him, but the sniper wisely turned the laser sight off. She kept close to the rail car and had her 9mm ready. Then, up ahead, the sniper appeared on top of another rail car. He turned the laser sight back on as Dawn tried to avoid the red dot. The doors on the rail car next to her were locked. She fired a shot at the sniper, causing him to duck down on the roof. She slid under the car and came out the other side. She ran over to the car the sniper was on and used a ladder to climb up. When she reached the top, he had vanished. She looked around and saw nothing but the rusted roofs of the rail cars. Then, the sniper surprised her by coming from inside the car below. He aimed the laser sight at her and she quickly slid off the roof and held onto the edge. The sniper went near the edge and Dawn reached up and grabbed his vest. She pulled him off the rail car and he landed on the ground. He was in a daze as he slowly got up. Dawn pulled herself back up to the roof and saw the laser sight. She ran and jumped across to the next rail car. The sniper fired a shot, but Dawn was able to avoid it. The sound of the bullet striking the metal made her adrenaline surge. She saw the laser sight ahead of her and slid on the roof. Then, she climbed off and hung onto the edge. She held on with one hand and got her 9mm ready. The laser went over her and was aimed near the edge. In a quick succession, she fired shots at the sniper. He was quick enough to avoid getting hit.

Dawn jumped back onto the ground and leaned against the boxcar. She looked around the corner and saw nothing but steel posts and empty space. The laser hovered over her and she snuck over to the next rail car. She followed the laser which was now coming from the top of a blue boxcar. Upon entering the box car, Dawn saw the makeshift ladder that led up to the top. She quietly climbed the ladder and saw the sniper who was still looking into the scope. He felt her presence, but Dawn quickly ran at him and stabbed him in the arm. He still held onto the gun and tried to point the barrel at her. Dawn jammed the knife into his arm while struggling to keep the barrel away from her. He was weakened by the wound and Dawn took advantage. She pushed the barrel towards him until it was under his chin. Next, she let go of the knife and went for the trigger, but he grabbed her throat. She struggled to find the trigger as he choked her. Dawn finally pulled the trigger while the barrel was under his chin. She fell over and coughed. There was blood spatter on her shirt. She took the sniper rifle and checked the ammo. There were only four bullets left.

After pulling the knife out, she scoured the area. Two more Outcasts were headed her way. She turned the laser off, hoping to lure them into the open, and then climbed down below to use the rail cars as cover. When one Outcast got closer, Dawn turned on the laser sight, pointed it at his chest, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot got the attention of the other Outcast who began firing in Dawn's direction. As soon as he stopped firing, Dawn turned the corner and shot him down. She saw the bay doors ahead which led outside. Rowan was in her grasp and the rage built up inside her. The encounter she had with him a few days earlier flashed in her mind. She walked alongside a boxcar while staring at the morning sky. Then, a door opened. Before she could take any action, Rowan appeared. He had a hunting rifle with a recon scope pointed at her head.

"There you are," his sinister voice rang, "Been expecting you, been watching you."

He jumped off the boxcar.

"Throw down your gun," he instructed.

She tossed her sniper rifle to the ground as he circled her, holding the hunting rifle with one hand.

"I'll cut you a deal," he proposed, "If you let me get what I need from Damon, I'll kill you quick, One shot through the head. You won't even feel it. Oppose me and I promise you will be dragged through hell. Every bone, every tendon, every part of your disgusting flesh will be cut, burned, and your bones will break."

"I gotta say, that's a tough decision," she mocked, "But I have an answer for you."

Dawn showed him a middle finger. He pressed the gun against her head.

"You stupid bitch!" He snapped.

"Damon is too valuable to you. Without him, you can't find the Institute and you are left with nothing. Kill me and you lose. Damon is a lot dangerous than you think. Without me you have no leverage over him."

Rowan grabbed her shirt and pressed her against the boxcar.

"I'm a hell of a lot more dangerous than he is," he scolded.

"Wrong again."

Dawn turned around and pushed his arm away.

"You're coming with me," he commanded.

Dawn smirked.

"Not a chance," she replied.

He pointed the gun at her and Dawn kneed him in the groin. She kicked the gun away from him and began punching him in the stomach and face. He went down and Dawn began kicking him. He rolled out of the way, stood up, and ran back towards the rail cars. Dawn picked up the sniper rifle and followed him.

"Come out you coward!" She yelled.

Then, a flash bang landed near her and exploded. Dawn shielded her eyes just in time, however, the loud noise disoriented her and caused her to drop the sniper rifle and stumble into a rail car. Rowan surprised her and struck her with a backhand punch, knocking her down. Dawn tried to kick him, but he grabbed her leg and shoved her over. She shook her head and Rowan grabbed her hair. He picked her up and threw her into the rail car. She fell to the ground and Rowan grabbed her by the hair again. When he picked her up, Dawn threw a punch at him, but he grabbed her arm.

"Still haven't learned how to fight?" He scorned her.

Rowan threw her onto a flat car and then climbed aboard. Dawn crawled away as Rowan slowly followed her.

"Dawn, my dear," he continued, "How can you be so ignorant? Synths can do what humans can't. When I get to Damon, I can get the Institute's technology. We will create an army of synths that will be under my command. My army will be expendable, I can create more and more. The Outcasts will be a more powerful force than mother nature. We will control anything and anybody and you will not stand in my way."

As Dawn listened to his nonsensical ramblings, she continued to slowly move across the flat car. She stopped near the end.

"That ain't it," Dawn argued, "This has nothing to do with him, nothing to do with Damon. This is about me killing one of your boys. You can't stand it. You fear the Outcasts have become weak because one of them got killed."

Rowan got angry and when he got close to her, she kicked him in the knee and threw him off the flat car. Dawn climbed off and began kicking him in the ribs and face. Rowan crawled away from her and ran through the bay door opening to the outside. Dawn followed him.

The morning sun began to shine on the rail cars, tracks, and scrap metal. The morning air was still cool. Rowan held his stomach and then Dawn tackled him from behind. She punched him in the side of the face. He reached behind and grabbed her hair. Then, he threw her to the ground, but Dawn quickly got up.

"You really wanna fight again?" He provoked, "This time, I'll kill you."

"I'm looking forward to it," she coldly stated.

They circled each other, staring into each other's eyes. All the pent-up rage that was contained inside Dawn was suddenly let out. She struck him in the face with a hard punch and the delivered another one. He stumbled back, and she struck him in the stomach multiple times. Then, she struck him with roundhouse kick to the head. Rowan went down to one knee and Dawn placed him in a front headlock in an attempt to break his neck. Little did she know, he had lured her into his trap. He lifted her up and used his strength to unhook her arm. He threw her onto the ground and then stepped on her arm. Dawn screamed in pain.

"I like an angry woman," he intimidated, "Problem is, they don't last very long, especially around me."

He grabbed her shirt causing it to rip. He slapped her across the face and then again with a backhand. He tried to slap her again, but she grabbed his arm and headbutted him in the nose. He backed away as his nose began to bleed. Dawn quickly stood up and kicked him in the stomach. She struck him in the side with side kicks, alternating legs. He threw a punch at her, but she grabbed his arm and kicked him in the stomach three times. Then, she kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Rowan turned over and injected a stimpak into his arm. He quickly stood up and ran at Dawn. He grabbed her and threw her to the ground. He tried to stomp on her, but Dawn rolled out of the way. The fight was now near a boxcar. Dawn got up, but Rowan punched her in the stomach and then kneed her in the face, knocking her back down. He dragged her near the opening on the box car and placed her in the doorway. He grabbed the handle on the door and began closing it. Dawn moved before the door could be closed on her. He grabbed her from behind and restrained her arms. Then, he placed her against the box car door.

"Give it up," he demanded.

He put his face near hers. Dawn felt him breathing on her neck.

"Damon can't save you now. I guess you want to die. Fine by me."

He tossed her to the ground and took out a knife. Dawn laid down in a weaken state. Rowan had a wicked smile as he held his knife. Dawn stood up, trying her best to fight through the pain, and took out Slayer. He tried to stab her, but Dawn side stepped and tripped him. He fell but quickly got back up. He ran at her again and Dawn moved. She tried to stab him, but he backed away. He swung the knife at her and she jumped back. She attempted to stab him, but he leaned back. Dawn then tripped him. When he fell down, she got on top of him. She tried to stab him, but he blocked her arm with his arm. Both knives where pointed at each other as they struggled. Rowan was stronger, and Dawn knew she was losing the battle. He punched her in the face, knocking her off. She laid on her back and tried to grab the knife, but Rowan swiped it away. He got on top of her and cut the top of her shirt near the collar.

"I'm gonna drag your dead carcass to Damon," he taunted.

He raised the knife up, but Dawn quickly struck him under the chin with an open palm strike. He went into a daze and Dawn shoved him over. She saw where her knife went and slowly crawled towards it. Rowan was still conscious and was barely moving. Dawn finally made it to the knife and slowly got up. Rowan took out a bottle of Buffout and consumed a pill. She stood up, feeling her body aching. Rowan stood up behind her and was incensed. She turned around and saw him walk right towards her; blood still dripping from his nose. When he got close, she tried to kick him, but he caught her leg and hit her with an elbow above the kneecap. She screamed in pain and then, Rowan punched her across the face. She stumbled back, and he tried to kick her but she side stepped him and kicked him in the head. The kick barely fazed him. She tried to stab him, but he grabbed her arm and hooked her in a hammer lock. Dawn dropped the knife in the process. He hooked his other arm around her neck and began choking her. She tried to struggle free, but he was too powerful. Dawn went down to one knee as her consciousness began to fade. She saw the knife on the ground and used her free hand to grab it. Then, Dawn used the knife to stab him in the shoulder. Rowan screamed as he let go. Dawn fell but quickly got up. She sliced him in the chest and then stabbed him in the arm. She attempted to slice his throat, but Rowan grabbed her arm. Dawn quickly kneed him in the stomach and then kicked him in the face, knocking him on top a piece of rock. The bottle of Buffout fell out of his trench coat. Dawn fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. She kept an eye on Rowan as he crawled away towards the track. As he dragged himself away using only one arm and both legs, he left behind a blood trail. Dawn stood up and walked towards him; kicking the bottle of Buffout away. She held Slayer and followed behind, like an animal stalking their prey.

"It ends here," Dawn imposed, "You will never control or cause fear to anyone. The Mojave, this world doesn't need assholes like you."

Rowan stopped on the track, facing down. Dawn stood beside him and used her leg to roll him on his back.

"All this for someone who isn't human," Rowan muttered.

Dawn placed one leg on his chest and pointed Slayer at him. He tried to move, but Dawn held him down.

"You think you can run through anybody to get what you want?" Dawn fumed, "I'm so damn sick of your damn gang. No more."

"Blame the NCR, all they need is a few bribes to look the other way," he admitted, "We control the Mojave. America is a corrupt place; anything for the all mighty dollar. That's all it took. Damon was our way towards the future."

"Too bad you'll never get to Damon. He's more of a human being than you will ever be."

Dawn stomped on his head, and again, and again. A small amount of blood spatter splashed onto her clothing. She finally stopped. She looked out into the morning sky and took a deep breath. She walked back through the factory which had now become a silent graveyard with bodies laying across the floor. She jogged back to where she had entered earlier and there was no sign of Damon or Maddie. She walked over to the Outcast's vehicles and sat on the hood of a Jeep. Then, she heard someone approach. She rose her head and looked at the shadow on the ground. It looked like a bald man with a large coat. She turned around and saw Damon.

"It's time," he informed.

"Where the hell were you?" She snapped, "I could have used your help; I almost got killed by that psycho."

"I'll explain it all."

Dawn got off the car.

"The Outcasts are no more," he told her, "I assume Rowan is too."

"That's all of them. Now where's Maddie?"

"She's at the Institute; she's safe, don't worry."

Damon walked away from the vehicle and looked out into the desert. He turned around.

"The Institute could use someone like you," he explained, "They still want you."

"I'll be honest, I haven't given it any thought."

"You have proven yourself capable of survival. The fact that you have eliminated Rowan proves that. Please Dawn, come with me to the Commonwealth, be a part of the Institute. I plan on going back there permanently. I would hate to leave you behind."

Dawn brushed her hair back and leaned on the vehicle.

"You want me to be a courser?" She asked.

"Not only that, but the leader. The Institute will give you the training. All I'm asking is that you give us a chance. If you leave…"

Damon closed his eyes as if he were about to cry. He wiped his eyes and looked at his hands.

"I don't know why I feel this way," he sobbed, trying to control his tears, "I wasn't supposed to feel what humans feel, but I…I can't explain it. I wasn't programmed this way."

"Damon…"

"Sometimes I forget I'm a synth. I don't know why though. I'm just a machine created for a purpose. I suddenly had human emotions and felt compelled to risk my own existence to save you."

"Damon, look, you're the best friend I had in years. It doesn't matter to me anymore if your human or not. All the stories I heard about synths over the years…well, just like humans, some are good and some are bad. I'm glad you're one of the good ones."

Dawn took his hand and held it. She stroked his head and hugged him.

"I was not programmed to feel this way," Damon reiterated.

Dawn laughed, trying not to cry.

"I'm supposed to be an emotionless courser."

Dawn felt his face.

"Then take me there," she finally answered the long standing question, "Take me to the Institute. Show me who they are."

Damon smiled and chuckled.

"Take this, and press the button," Damon instructed.

He handed her a small black device. They stared into each other's eyes as they held each other's hands. Then, a blue flash of light surrounded them. In an instant, they were gone.


	16. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Within a few seconds, Dawn appeared in a room surrounded by a beige wall made of steel. Above her was a row of yellow lights that ascended to the top. She looked around the room and saw an opening ahead and walked out of the room. It led her into a dark hallway which had a bright light at the end. She looked back and wondered where Damon was. Then, the lights located at the top of the walls illuminated the hallway. The walls and floor were made of blue and gray steel. She stood still and looked at the bright light at the end of the hallway. Then, a light shined on her from a black electronic device above.

"Hello Dawn," a voice of an older man said over an intercom, "We've been expecting you. Please, head down the hallway towards the light. I have an opportunity I would like to discuss with you."

"Who are you?" Dawn asked with her voice echoing through the hallway.

"I am the Director. The Institute is under my guidance. I have waited a long time to meet you."

Dawn walked towards the light.

"I would like to thank you for taking care of Damon," the Director continued, "You have proven to be quite resourceful."

When Dawn reached the end of the hallway, she stepped into the well-lit room. Ahead of her was an elevator. It was made of glass and it was circular with uneven steel bars on the glass.

"Go ahead Dawn, step into the elevator," the director instructed.

With nowhere else to go, Dawn decided to step into the elevator. The doors automatically closed around her; the glass was divided into strips and they each moved separately. When the glass parts fell into place, the elevator descended.

"We have heard so much about you," the director informed over the elevator speaker, "You have been hesitant to be here, but you may have had the wrong impression of us."

The elevator descended and revealed the interior of the Institute. Dawn put her hand on the glass and saw how well preserved everything was. The walls were white and there were platforms and large glass panes where the offices and labs were. There were numerous scientists and other individuals walking around. Down below, there were plants. She was surprised to see that they were green. There was also a stream of clear water flowing down near a set of stairs and into the spot where the elevator would pass. The elevator seemed to go through a walkway. While passing through, there was a man and a woman wearing white lab coats with a blue patch over the shoulder. They waved to her as she descended. The elevator stopped when it reached a room surrounded by white walls and a large yellow stripe surrounding the top. The doors opened and led into an office. There was a glass room ahead which was empty. Next to it was a door. She looked around the room until the door opened. An older man wearing a white coat, khaki pants, dress shoes, and a green sweater walked through. He had a short white ponytail and a white beard.

"Dawn Crenshaw," he greeted her, "Finally we meet. Welcome to the Institute. I'm sure you have questions about us and about your future."

"Where's Maddie? Damon?" She asked.

"Maddie is in her quarters waiting for you. Damon is at synth retention. He is anxious to work alongside you."

"This is the Institute?"

"Yes. We are underneath the Commonwealth. Through trial and error, we have spent the last decade committing ourselves to the preservation of humanity. Our technology, research, and science will help shape the future of this world."

"Damon told me about being a courser."

"Yes. We want you to lead the coursers from the synth retention bureau. Their purpose is to apprehend any lost synths that have gone rogue. Also, it may be necessary to eradicate anyone in the Commonwealth that may pose a threat to any of our synths or the Institute. Judging from your actions, you seem to have no trouble eliminating any problems you come across."

"How can I even lead these…coursers or rescue synths? I don't even know-"

"I'm sure Damon has told you, but you will be given training. The other coursers have been informed and are looking forward to working with you. It's obvious to me that you care for Damon and you would risk your life for a synth. You care a great deal for them, is that right?"

"I do care about Damon, but it depends on the individual. Damon has been a good friend to me."

"And you helped him. Albeit it was part of a test, but you didn't have to help him. You chose too."

"I was doing the right thing, not because he is a synth."

"This is why you would be perfect for the Institute."

Dawn stared at him.

"How can I trust the Institute?" She asked.

"Here I am, unarmed, standing in front of you while you are brandishing weapons. I have no plans to confiscate them and, provided that you accept our invitation, you can roam freely around the Institute."

Dawn remained silent. The director looked back at her, waiting for an answer.

In the dark streets of the Commonwealth, a lone figure wearing a leather trench coat and a black hood, walked down the middle of the destroyed road passing buildings, broken down cars, and debris. In the darkness, a teenage boy was watching the lone figure. He wore a dark hoodie, a pair of torn jeans with patches sown in and a pair of worn boots. He moved closer to the figure, trying not to be seen or heard. When he got close, he grabbed the figure's arm and tried to throw them against the wall. The figure in black overpowered him, grabbed his throat, and held him against the wall. The teen could not see the face.

"I'm sorry, don't kill me!" He begged.

"You don't want to cross someone like me," the figure warned in a gritty voice.

The figure showed him the back of her hand and he was frightened.

"Don't ever mess with Courser," the figure said.

It was Dawn Crenshaw. On the back of her hand was the Institute insignia. She smiled at him and let him go. He ran away as fast as he could into the night. She smiled and put her hood back on.


End file.
